


Not A Monster

by leighwrites



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, M/M, No Pennywise AU, Not Beta Read, he's not coming back, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-04-20 08:59:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 56,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14257473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leighwrites/pseuds/leighwrites
Summary: Richie's been keeping a secret. He doesn't think it's possible that Eddie could have the same one. He doesn't even think Eddie could ever look at him the same way if he ever came out. But maybe neither of those things are as true as he believed them to be.And maybe he's not the only one with a secret.[Also posted on tumblr @aizeninlefox]





	1. Chapter One

It had been four years since the summer in which the events revolving around the shapeshifting, fear inducing creature had taken place, and while the ‘Losers Club’ as they had named themselves, had mostly recovered from the events of that summer, there were still times when the memories hit them so strongly that it was  _almost_ like they were thirteen again.

Richie Tozier was no exception to this, even though he would brush it off If anyone asked him whether or not he still remembered that summer; cracking some crude or stupid joke before he would change the subject entirely.

He didn’t want the reminders of that clown.

And he  _certainly_ didn’t want the reminders of the Neibolt House.

He’d never told the others, but in that moment when Pennywise had been advancing on them and Richie had been forcing Eddie to look at  _him_ instead of the clown because  _holy shit they were going to die and that thing did not need to be the last thing that Eddie saw,_ the half clown-werewolf had been taunting him and only him.

The words had been echoing around Richie’s head like a mantra, and whenever he was alone, be it walking to school, or just lying in bed trying to sleep, those words would come back to him full-force.

_Don’t touch the other boys._

_If you do then they’ll know._

_They’ll know your s-e-c-r-e-t Rich –_

“Richie!”

A horn sounded and a hand gripped firmly at the back of his shirt, Richie stumbling backwards into the gutter as the person gave him a firm yank backwards, his heals bumping against the curb; almost toppling him over onto the pavement in the process of getting him out of the way of the car.

The car had already passed by now, and Richie could only stare ahead, unable to bring himself to move, his hand slowly sliding from the strap of his backpack until it was lax at his side, the realisation of what happened slowly sinking in.

He’d been thinking so much about that incident in the Neibolt House that he’d  _almost_ walked in front of a car.

“Richie?”

Richie looked for the source of the voice, finding a concerned Stan just behind him on the sidewalk, one hand gripping at the back of Richie’s shirt tightly.

“Are you –”

“I’m fine!” Richie said, a little too cheerfully, raising his hand and gripping at his backpack again.

“You’re  _not_  fine, Richie. I’ve been calling for you to wait up for five minutes, and when I finally catch up to you, you almost walk out into traffic. It’s like you’re a damn zombie.”

Richie plastered the biggest grin he could onto his face and leaned over to Stan, pinching at his cheek. “Your concern is touching, Stanley boy, but I’m fine, really. I’m just a little tired today, that’s all.”

He could see the doubt on Stan’s face, one of his slender brows arched, but Stan was never one to keep pushing him, and instead he nodded, finally releasing the back of Richie’s shirt so he could slap the other’s hand from his face.

“Don’t do that.”

Richie laughed, hopefully convincing enough that Stan would actually believe he was fine, before the two of them crossed the street, walking diagonally to avoid the pitch black space of the storm drain on the other side.

Four years and they still avoided the storm drains around town as though they expected Pennywise to reach out of the void and snag them by their foot before pulling them down into the sewer.

But the clown was  _gone_.

They knew that.

They’d seen him die.

They’d watched Bill drive the pole into his head over and over again until there was nothing left.

And yet, as they approached another storm drain further up the street, Stan fell back to walk behind Richie who had subconsciously moved further from the edge of the curb towards the clean cut lawns of the houses that lined the street.

Seventeen year olds weren’t supposed to be afraid of monsters.

But that didn’t stop Eddie freaking out whenever his mother got balloons for a party, building up his anxiety until it turned into a full blown panic attack.

It didn’t stop Stan from running away from a clown at Derry’s summer festival.

It didn’t stop Bill from riding his bike just a little too fast by the storm drains or the Neibolt House whenever he had to pass by.

It didn’t stop Ben from refusing to go to the library  _alone_.

It didn’t stop Mike from avoiding birds or freaking out over the smallest fire that got out of control on their camping trips.

And it  _definitely_ didn’t stop Richie from remembering just  _why_ the clown showed itself as a damn Werewolf, or stop the guilt of Eddie breaking his arm because  _he hadn’t been watching him._

The werewolf didn’t scare him, but the implications of it certainly did.

_They’ll know your s-e-c-r-e-t Richie._

_They’ll call you a monster._

“God fucking damn it!” Richie snapped suddenly, startling a passing group of younger kids, one of which dropped her books onto the pavement in fright.

Unlike Richie, Stan crouched quickly to help her pick them back up. That was just  _so Stan_. The kind, reliable voice of reason. Richie, however, was busy staring at the ground, teeth sinking into his lip. He could vaguely hear Stan behind him apologizing to the group of girls before he tentatively grabbed Richie’s arm as the group crossed the street to avoid Richie.

Richie shook the hand off quickly in a panic with a shout of ‘don’t touch me’. His effort to get away from Stan had him stumbling, almost falling to the ground if not for the fact that he was good at catching himself.

“If you didn’t have such long legs you wouldn’t be almost falling over them all the damn time.”

Richie snorted, turning his attention not to Stan, but to the person who had spoken just behind him. Eddie was standing there, backpack hanging loosely against his shoulder with his fingers drumming against the strap.

This, usually, was the point where Richie would call him a name he ‘hated’ and pinch his cheek before ‘violating’ his personal space with an arm slung over his shoulder as they walked to school.

Instead, he could only stare down at the shorter boy who was now standing directly beside Stan.

“Kaspbrak.” Richie greeted, a little too formally for the liking of the two boys in front of him who exchanged a brief look of concern.

“Did someone break you?” Eddie asked, a brow arched in mock concern. Yeah, because he’d show  _Richie_ that he was actually concerned.

“Nope!” Richie said, suddenly back in his ‘chipper’ demeanour. “Just a little tired today. I was up all night thinking about your mo –”

“I swear to fucking god Richie.” Eddie sighed, running a hand through his hair. Why was he even remotely worried about him? Richie only had two modes. Jerk, and bigger Jerk.

But yet, Eddie couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something  _very_ forced in Richie’s response.

“What? Are you jealous because  _you_ don’t get any action?” Richie asked, a lopsided smile on his face.

Scratch that.

Maybe there was nothing forced about his response after all.

“I hate you.” Eddie said.

“Love you too, Eddie Spaghetti.” Richie responded without missing a beat.

Yeah, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Richie. He was stupid to think otherwise.

Bill and Ben were waiting outside of the school when they arrived, talking quietly amongst themselves. They paused in their conversation when they saw the other three arriving, sharing a quick greeting before heading into school, Richie rushing ahead and pushing through the crowds of students.

“Since when does  _Richie_ race to homeroom?” Ben asked, turning sideways to squeeze through a group of students.

“Since he woke up in a particularly weird ass non-Richie mood today.” Stan said, following Ben’s lead. “There’s something clearly wrong with that boy.”

“Stan, you sound like an old man.” Eddie said, stumbling as he tried to push through a group of students who were standing in the middle of the hallway.

“One of us has to.” Stan shot back over his shoulder, heading for the stairwell. “See you guys at Lunch.”

“S-s-see you Suh-Suh-Stan.” Bill said, waving the boy off. “Duh-do you really think th-th-there’s something wrong with Ruh-Ruh-Richie?”

“He was acting a bit weird earlier when I caught up to him and Stan, but he said he was just tired before cracking another one of his stupid jokes.” Eddie said as they entered their homeroom, shooting a quick bye to Ben.

Richie was already sitting at his desk which was located right behind Bill’s his leg bouncing up and down with the heel of his foot barely scraping against the floor.

“You okay Richie?” Eddie asked as he passed his desk to the one behind him.

Richie was a lot of things, but bouncing bundle of anxiety that couldn’t sit still in his chair had never been one of them.

Until right now.

Richie twisted in his seat, flashing Eddie a smile that made his breath hitch into his throat. Well  _that_ was weird.

“Perfectly fine, Eds!” Richie assured, raising a hand to give his friend a mock two finger salute. “I’m always fine when you’re around, love!”

“Beep, beep Richie.” Eddie hissed as someone turned in their seat to see what was going on behind them.

The girl, Jessica, gave him a sympathetic look. She was no stranger to the way Richie was, especially with Eddie. It was almost like Richie did everything he could to make the poor boy die of embarrassment.

“I told you before, Eddie, you need to train your puppy.”

“I’m trying Jess.” Eddie huffed, propping his head up with one of his hands. “Do you know any puppy training classes?”

“Sorry, Eddie, can’t say I do.” Jessica said, turning back around in her seat.

Eddie smiled, shaking his head. Jessica was nice enough. Sometimes she reminded him of Beverly, and he didn’t miss her as much on the rare occasion that he and Jessica actually held a conversation.

“Oh sure, she cracks a joke and you smile, but I do it and its  _beep, beep Richie_  or  _shut up_.” Richie grumbled.

Eddie snorted, drumming his fingers idly against his cheek. “Maybe I just like her more than I do you, Trashmouth.”

The reaction was instant. The smile that had been plastered on Richie’s face faltered into a frown, and then a grimace. He turned in his seat quickly, his back slamming against the backrest of the chair as his attention fixed ahead.

“R –” Eddie was cut off as Richie held up a hand in a gesture that screamed ‘don’t’, and he heaved a sigh, looking out the window rather than the back of Richie’s head. “Fine jerk, be like that.”

-

Richie didn’t wait for his friends after school that day. The second the bell went, so did he, and the only thing they could see was the godawful Hawaiian shirt as he took off. He bumped into someone in the crowd of students he pushed his way through, not even stopping to register that the person he’d almost knocked over was Stan.

With an exasperated sigh, Stan decided against going after him, hunting out Bill and the others instead.

“I just – I don’t know!” Eddie snapped, slamming his locker shut with a loud clang as Stan joined them. “He’s been a jerk  _all_ day!”

“I thought that was just normal Richie behaviour.” Stan said, earning a snort from Ben.

“This isn’t just Richie-level jerk, Stanley!” Eddie flung his backpack onto his shoulder, almost smacking Bill in the gut in the process. “This is  _actual_ jerk. I cracked  _one_ joke about liking Jess more than I do him and he’s been ignoring me since.”

Stan furrowed his brow in thought. “The new girl?” Eddie nodded his confirmation. Stan tried, and failed, to stifle a laugh. “I get it.”

“Wh-wh-what?” Bill asked, sending a confused look between the two of them.

“He’s  _jealous_.” Stan said, traces of a lazy smirk still on his face. “Think about it, you told him you liked a girl who you’ve known for half a year more than him, who you’ve known since you were a kid. He probably thinks you’re trying to replace him or something.”

Eddie groaned, slamming his head into the locker. “He’s such an idiot.”

“That’s the general consensus, yes.”

Eddie grumbled something incoherent into the metal of the door before pushing himself upright. “She’s just a partner project! It doesn’t mean I’m going to replace my friends with her. We’ve all been through hell together. We –”

_We killed a damn clown four years ago together that no one else could see._

“I  _know_ Eddie.” Stan said, frustration clear in his voice. “But did you ever tell  _Richie_ that?”

Eddie turned to him, staring silently for a moment. “Are you fucking kidding me, Stan? You know what he’s like. I can’t just go, hey you’re my best friend, you know that right, and I love you, all of you. He’d make it into some annoying joke.”

“Huh…” Stan mused, a look of interest coming to his face. “And here I thought you’d just have to say: hey, Richie, I’m not replacing you okay? You’re my best friend.”

“That’s what I –”

“That’s not what you said, and it’s not what you meant, and you tacked the rest of us on to cover your tracks.”

“What tracks?”

Bill looked between them, and then he was grinning. “Oh-oh my guh-god.”

“I don’t think I like whatever it is you’re trying to imply.” Eddie grumbled.

Stan patted him on shoulder lightly. “Don’t worry about it, Eddie. It’ll come to you soon enough and you’ll be like ‘shit’.”

“I have  _no_ idea what you’re talking about, but I’m sure I don’t like it.”

“Oh on the contrary, I think you  _do_ like it.”

“Shut up Stan!”

The moment Richie was in the sanctuary of his own bedroom, he tossed his backpack under his desk and toed off his shoes, dropping face down onto his bed with a groan.

He hated it when Eddie would talk to that girl. He hated it when he smiled at something she said, or when he’d laugh with her. He hated it when Eddie allowed her to punch his shoulder lightly and call him ‘Ed’.

And he definitely hated it when Eddie called her ‘Jess’.

He just didn’t understand  _why_.

 _Stop lying to yourself. You know why._ A voice in the back of his head nagged.

_Don’t touch the other boys._

_They’ll call you a monster._

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Richie snapped, grabbing his pillow and shoving it over his head in an attempt to block out the voice that continued to nag him.

_You know why you ran into that room full of clowns._

_You know why a dead Eddie popped out of that damn mattress in the Neibolt House._

“Go away!” Richie all but screamed into the mattress, voice muffled under the pillow. “You’re gone! You’re dead! I saw you die! Leave me alone!”

_They’re gonna find out your secret._

_They’ll hate you._

_Monster._

Richie’s fingers dug into the soft material of the pillow case as he gripped tighter, almost suffocating himself with the pillow as he screwed his eyes shut.

“No, no, no. Go away. Leave me alone. You’re dead. You’re de –”

“Richie?”

The voice in Richie’s head wavered and fell quiet, silence settling in like a fog. Footsteps sounded outside of the dark void he’d built for himself until they stopped somewhere nearby, a hand grasping at his own.

“Richie. Let go of the pillow before you suffocate yourself.” The voice soothed, their thumb running against the back of the other’s hand.

It was easier to distinguish the voice as Eddie’s now he didn’t have the voice of Pennywise scraping around in the back of his head, and he found that it was oddly comforting. Richie complied surprisingly easy, releasing the pillow from his death grip so Eddie could remove it with his free hand, tossing it behind Richie on the bed.

“Eddie?” Richie asked, blinking in the sudden light that he found himself back in.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Eddie assured him.

He attempting to release Richie’s hand, though the taller boy was having none of it, grasping onto Eddie’s hand as though it were some kind of anchor, maybe even a lifeline at this point.

“Richie? Is something wrong?” Eddie asked, awkwardly taking a seat on the bed next him.

“I –” Richie paused for a moment and then swallowed thickly. “Bad dream.”

“Of course you were asleep.” Eddie said, heaving a sigh. “You’re so lazy, Tozier.”

“Yeah, that’s me. Lazy ass Richie Tozier.”

Eddie bit back the irritated groan that was trying to push from his throat. Richie was so frustrating sometimes. Especially when it was  _so damn obvious that there was something wrong with him._

Forcing the truth out of Richie was not a tactic that worked though, so Eddie sat there silently, offering silent comfort with his thumb, brushing it carefully against the back of Richie’s hand, and once in a while Richie would squeeze his hand.

It was their code.

Every brush of the thumb was an ‘ _I’m here for you.’_

And every squeeze of the hand was a ‘ _thank you.’_

“Hey Eds?” Richie asked after another long moment of silence.

“Don’t call me that. You know I hate that.” Eddie quipped, though the smile on his face betrayed him.

“Yeah, okay.” Richie said, rolling onto his back to look up at Eddie better. “Do you still… think about that summer? Like  _really_ remember it?”

Eddie stared down at him, a serious expression set on his face. For a moment, Richie was sure he wasn’t going to answer, the tension thickening between them in the silence.

“I remember it. Sometimes a little too much.”

“Yeah?”

Eddie nodded, and the thumb stopped it’s brushing. “I… sometimes it feels like my arm is broken again, and it wakes me up at night. Sometimes… I remember the leper that crawled out from under the house and – yeah. I remember it.”

Richie nodded, threading his fingers through Eddie’s to squeeze at his hand better and soothe the anxiety that was no doubt building up in his friend. Eddie was strong, yes, and he was off all of the placebo bullshit, but the anxiety was  _definitely_ a real issue he suffered with, forcing him to remain on his inhaler.

He reached out with his free hand, patting at Eddie’s pockets until he could feel the inhaler, dipping his fingers in to hook around the plastic device which he pulled out, fumbling with the cap to push it off.

Eddie took the inhaler from him with a fleeting thankful look on his face before pushing the end into his mouth and pushing the metal canister down.

“Sorry.” Richie said, giving his hand another squeeze. “I shouldn’t have brought that up. I just… lately… I’ve been –”

Eddie removed the inhaler from his mouth, holding his hand up to halt Richie’s words before takin in a deep breath.

“I get it. Is that why you’ve been weird today?”

Richie snorted, tucking his free hand under his head. “Gonna have to specify a little there, Eds.”

Eddie shot him a less-than-intimidating glare. “You know what I’m talking about, jerk.”

Richie sighed, closing his eyes. “Yeah. It’s why I’ve been… weird.”

Eddie fell silent, studying Richie for a moment. His breathing was calm, and the shallow rise and fall of his chest was a sure signal that Richie was struggling to stay awake, the dark circles under his eyes from clear sleep deprivation barely hidden by the thick lenses of his glasses.

Eddie sighed, releasing Richie’s hand from his grip and leaning forward, carefully taking the taped up glasses in his hands before removing them.

“What are you doing?” Richie asked, opening a single eye to take in the blurry Eddie as he stood.

Eddie placed the glasses and inhaler onto the nightstand, leaning over Richie to grab the pillow. “Lift your head up.”

Richie complied and Eddie tucked the pillow under her head. “This still doesn’t tell me what you’re doing.”

“You haven’t been sleeping, idiot, so now you’re gonna take a nap.”

Richie chuckled tiredly. “What are you; my nurse?”

Eddie released an exasperated huff. “If it gets you to nap, then yes.”

Richie shifted across the bed, patting the space beside him. “Stay?”

Eddie relented, surprisingly easily, and lowered himself onto the bed next to Richie who rolled onto his side, draping an arm over the other’s waist.

“Hey Eds, I have a new name for you.” Richie mumbled tiredly into Eddie’s shoulder.

“No, Richie.”

“You’re now an  _Eddie_ bear. Get it? Like teddy bear.”

“For fuck sake, Richie.”

Richie chuckled tiredly into Eddie’s shoulder, nuzzling his face into his shirt as his arms tightened around his stomach. “Hey Eds?”

“What do you want  _now_ Richie? You’re supposed to be sleeping.” Eddie grumbled.

“Thanks. For always – you know.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about it.” Eddie sighed as Richie practically curled around him, tucking the shorter boy into his front. “Now take a damn nap before I hit you with a baseball bat or something.”


	2. Chapter Two

Eddie found that there was something oddly _nice_ about spending time with Richie on a Saturday without the others around, even if their day _had_ consisted of first going to opticians where Eddie had helped Richie pick out a pair of black thin rimmed glasses since his other ones were _so_ broken that they had fallen apart that morning when he’d tried to put them on.

It had been amusing for Eddie when Richie had called him, after apparently dialing the wrong number three times in his blind and sleepy stupor, asking him to help him actually make it to the optician without walking into a lamppost, a car, or generally into traffic.

Next had been the pharmacy, the reason that Eddie hadn’t minded being a guide person since he needed to pick up his prescription for his inhaler anyway. Richie had spent most of the time in the pharmacy checking out his glasses in a mirror and making sure they were sitting perfectly, attempting to get used to a pair of glasses that _actually_ fit him.

At a loss of what to do _after_ their little errands, they’d stopped at the café, Richie shoving Eddie towards a booth to grab them some seats while he went to order them some hot chocolate after their adventure in the cold December air.

Glancing around the café while they drank, Richie caught sight of Jessica sitting at one of the tables with another girl from class by the name of Lucille. They were sitting at a small two-seater only table, seeming to be paying attention only to each other.

Richie had never seen either of them outside of school before, and it was almost like they were different people. In school they were pretty close, sharing jokes and cheek kisses, but here in the café, with none of the school’s designated bullies around, they were holding hands across the table, and Lucille leaned over to whisper something into Jessica’s ear that made her stutter.

Were they…?

Lucille laughed at Jessica’s reaction to whatever she’d said, reaching out and tapping a pink painted fingernail against the other’s nose before she leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Yes.

Yes they were.

“Don’t gawk at them, dumbass.” Eddie snapped, kicking Richie under the table.

“Ow, what the fuck Eds?” Richie groaned, twisting back around in his seat and reaching under the table to rub at his abused shin. “I wasn’t gawking I just –”

Eddie’s mouth dropped open.

 _Oh_.

“ _Are you telling me you didn’t know_?” Eddie hissed, keeping his voice low.

“Of course I – how was I supposed to know!?” Richie demanded, sitting upright.

“You really _are_ a dumbass.” Eddie said, shaking his head with a look of amusement on his face. “Maybe if you paid attention instead of thinking I was trying to replace you with her, you’d notice things.”

“Oh shut up.” Richie grumbled, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. “Wait a second. How did _you_ know she was into girls anyway?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Because I – she told me last week when she had to bail on a project because she had a date and she was rambling so hard she kinda just let it slip!”

Richie arched a brow. _Because I –_

_Because you what, Eds?_

“Right.” Richie said, not seeming all that convinced by his answer.

 _They’ll call you a monster._ The voice nagged in the back of Richie’s head again.

No. That couldn’t be true. No one in this café thought that Lucille or Jessica were monsters. They weren’t sending them disapproving looks or whispering to their friends. They didn’t even notice the two girls in the middle of the room.

But if this was school it would have been different.

He’d never seen Lucille or Jessica look at each other like this in school; like the other person was the only one in the world despite being in the middle of a crowded café.

Just like the way he looked at Eddie.

_Fuck._

There was no denying that anymore. He definitely wanted to be like Lucille and Jessica, sitting free in the open and being able to give Eddie that stupid look.

Hold his hand.

Ki –

“Hey Ed!” Jessica greeted as she joined the table with Lucille, their hands linked together between them.

“Hey Jess – Luci’.” Eddie greeted, shooting them both a grin. “On a date?”

“You know it.” Lucille said, raising their linked hands to kiss at the back of Jessica’s hand. “We just wanted to come and say hello to our favourite person who didn’t freak out when Jessica bailed on them with the admittance of a not-so-straight sexuality.”

“Do you have to keep saying it like that?” Jessica complained, flicking Lucille’s nose.

“What? I think it’s cute that you rambled.” Lucille said. “The post-freak-out was cute too. _Oh I admitted I was a lesbian and that kid probably thinks I’m so fucking gross now._ ”

Jessica pinched at the bridge of her nose with her free hand, screwing her eyes shut. “That’s it, I’m breaking up with you.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” Jessica reached over, ruffling Eddie’s hair. “I’ll make it up to you since I had to bail last week, okay? I’ll do the majority of the work.”

Eddie raised a hand, batting her arm away. “Don’t worry about it Jess. I know it’s hard for you two to actually get a date right now with your mom the way she is.”

Lucille rolled her eyes. “Personally I don’t see the problem. I came out to my mom and she was like: _yeah kid, I kinda guessed that. I was just waiting for you to catch on._ ”

“Can I just like… trade moms with you?” Jessica asked.

Richie watched the look of sympathy and what he was pretty sure was understanding that crossed Eddie’s face.

“Jess, I’ll do the project. Use those ‘study nights’ and get some damn dates in.” Eddie said, lifting his mug. “You need them before you snap.”

“No way. I can’t just let you –”

“You’re not.” Eddie said, cutting her off. “As the one you left in charge of the project because you’re ‘bad at taking charge’, I order you to do this.”

Jessica sighed, a smile coming to her face. “Thanks Ed. I’ll make it up to you. I promise! When you need something, anything, even to help bury Richie’s body, just ask okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just go enjoy your date.”

“You’re the best!” Jessica said, releasing Lucille’s hand long enough to hug Eddie.

The two left, and Richie took careful note on how they tried to maintain some kind of comfortable distance between each other as they walked out the door, far enough that it didn’t look like they were dating.

At least in the outside world where people like Troy were no doubt roaming around the town looking for reasons to harass people.

“You’re really sweet, you know that right?” Richie asked, tearing his attention away from the door so his gaze settled on Eddie again. “Not many people would have done what you just did.”

An unmistakeable tinge of red crept onto Eddie’s face. “Well, you heard us. Her mom isn’t exactly… supportive over her life choices.”

“Well, how about I help you with this project?” Richie asked. “I know, I know, I’m not exactly in your history class, but I’d hate for you be stuck in your room driving yourself insane trying to do two halves of work. You can just tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it.”

Eddie contemplated it for a moment, finishing off the remains of his drink. “Sure, Rich. Just don’t become some kind of an annoying distraction.”

“When have _I_ ever been a distraction?” Richie asked, a faux innocent expression on his face.

Eddie scowled, staring silently at Richie.

_All the damn time. Your stupid hair. Your stupid glasses. Your stupid voice. Your stupid face that I just want to grab and –_

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Richie asked, a single brow quirked in confusion.

“Because you’re always a distraction with your dumb jokes whenever people are trying to get anything done.” Eddie said, placing his now empty mug onto the table. “I haven’t forgotten your stupid Doctor Pepper joke from the other day.”

Richie snorted, raising a hand into air next to him, the other on his chest. “I swear, my little Eddiebear, I’ll be on my best behaviour for this.”

“We agreed that you wouldn’t use that name after the other day.” Eddie said, crossing his arms.

“I made no such agreement.”

“I hate you.”

“Love you too Eddiebear.”

“I’m regretting my decision to let you help me already.” Eddie deadpanned.

“Hey, I said I’d behave while helping. Here in this café you’re free game.”

Eddie groaned. “Fine.”

Silenced stretched over them, Eddie’s leg bouncing up and down under the table as his fingers drummed against the side of his mug, creating a rather relaxing rhythm to listen to.

“Hey Rich?”

Richie paused in the middle of his sip, gaze settling on Eddie behind the fogged up lenses of his glasses. “What’s up Eds?”

“If – hypothetically, if I was like Lucille or Jessica, would you think of me differently all of a sudden?”

Richie took careful note on how Eddie had _not_ berated him for calling him Eds, slowly lowering his mug back to the table. This was serious, and he needed to treat it as such. “Where did _that_ come from?”

“Just some stuff Jess said about her former friends back home.”

Richie grimaced. He had a pretty good idea on what had happened with the people Jessica had used to call friends. “Well, _Eddiebear_ ,” Richie began, removing his glasses and grabbing one of the table napkins to wipe them. “You’re my best friend, right?”

“Right.”

“We’re a dynamic duo, _right_?”

Eddie sighed. “Richie…”

“Right?”

Eddie smiled and nodded. “Right.”

“Then, you’d always be Eddie. My best friend and partner in crime… well voice of reason, no matter who you dated. I’m always gonna love you no matter what.”

_A little too much, don’t you think, Richie?_

The voice was back, taunting him yet again, clawing around in his head like a rabid animal.

_Don’t touch the other boys, Richie._

Stanley Uris had never considered for one moment that his attempt to finish up his math homework that night would be disturbed, though part of him reasoned that this was something he should have expected.

Richie was forever climbing through his window for whatever reason he deemed worthy to the point that Stan had started to leave it open just enough for the boy to slip his fingers under the frame and push it up.

The sliding of the window to his left did not go unnoticed as Stan crossed out a wrong equation on his work and started to re-do it. “We have this thing called a door downstairs, you know.”

Richie threw one leg through the window, ducking to ease himself into the room. “Come on Staniel, where’s your sense of adventure?”

Stan furrowed his brow, not looking up from his work as Richie slid the window back down. “Last time we had a sense of adventure Eddie broke his arm.”

Richie grimaced and strode over to the bed, dropping into a seated position. “That’s so not the only time that we had a sense of adventure.”

“Maybe for you.” Stan said, looking over the next equation in his book carefully. “Now are you going to tell me why you just broke into my room rather than using the door like a normal human being?”

“I have a problem.”

“You _are_ a problem.” Stan turned a page in his notebook, still diligently doing his work.

Richie placed a hand to his chest in mock hurt. “Ouch, Staniel. Way to cut deep.”

“You’re right.” Stan said, still not looking up from his work. “I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

“Correct. Now, you had a problem?”

“Oh, yeah.” Richie stood, and Stan could hear him pacing across the room. “Okay, so like, I uh, I’ve been having some… kinda weird… thoughts, I guess? I don’t know. But I hear that thing. It keeps… taunting me, and it’s happening more and more each day, and it’s getting harder to sleep because then I _see_ that thing, and it’s taunting me, telling me that I – that people would think I’m a monster if they knew something really personal about me. Something… not normal I guess? But then I saw Jessica and Lucille today and I couldn’t help but think ‘wow they’re so fucking brave and how could anyone think that they’re monsters’ when they’re more like –”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, halt.” Stan said, twisting in his seat to look at Richie who had his fingers buried deep into his hair as though he’d been trying to yank it out during his rant. “You wanna try this a little… slower?”

“Stan –”

“No, Richie, you’re ranting so much it’s hard to take everything in.” Stan said, eyeing Richie.

Richie groaned and threw himself face-down onto Stan’s bed. “IlikeguysStan.”

Stan blinked, his head tilting slightly to one side, one arm resting on the back of his chair. “Come again?”

“I. Like. Guys.” Richie said, voice muffled by the blanket. “Well… girls too… but… yeah.”

Stan nodded, dropping his pen onto his notebook in order to give Richie his full attention. “Okay. That’s a good place to start. What next?”

“I keep… I hear Pennywise. He –”

“It.”

“ – it – basically keeps telling me if you guys knew that you’d think I was monster but I can’t keep bottling it up anymore and I – I kinda –”

“You like Eddie.” Stan stated. “It’s about time your brain caught up. You’re so obvious. Bill and I have known this for a while now.”

Richie raised a hand, extending his middle finger to Stan. Stan rolled his eyes and pushed himself up from the chair, heading over to the bed to sit beside Richie where he tentatively placed a hand to his back. Even in this position, Stan could feel the tell-tale signs of a panic attack. Being around Eddie for so long had taught him the signs.

“Take a deep breath, Richie.” Stan said, his voice calm and soothing. “Look, you’re not a monster. None of us would think that. Why do _you_ think we’d think that?”

“I don’t know – I guess with the way this town is –”

Stan sighed, dropping to lie on his back next to his distressed friend. “Yeah, I get that. That’s why Jess doesn’t parade it around the school.”

Richie tilted his head to look at Stan. “Great, you knew too?”

“I mean, I asked her to the winter formal and that’s when she told me she liked girls.”

Richie snorted. “Poor Staniel. First girl you ask to a dance and she’s a lesbian.”

“Shut up Richie. I’m here comforting you and you’re being a jerk.”

“Right, yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. So you don’t think –”

“I think you’re a lot of things, Trashmouth.” Stan said, tilting his own head to look at Richie. “Impulsive, reckless, loud, annoying, obnoxious, a pain in the ass sometimes…”

“Thanks Stan.”

“But,” Stan continued, smiling. “A monster is not one of them.”

Richie seemed to perk up at that. “Really?”

“Yes, idiot.” Stan said, tucking a hand behind his head. “You’re one of my closest friends, my first friend, actually. And you’ll remain that no matter who you are.”

Richie grinned. “You’re the first one I told this to. Could you –”

“No problem Richie.”

“Just until I know _how_ to tell them without… you know…”

“Rambling?”

“Yeah.”

Stan chuckled, and then he sat up. “Okay, you’ve broken into my house, vented, distracted me from work and established you’re _not_ a monster. Now can I _please_ get back to my work?”

Richie slowly pushed himself up, clambering awkwardly to his feet. “Sure thing, Staniel! See you Monday!”

Stan shook his head in mild amusement as Richie debated which way to leave the house. In the end, he settled for sliding the window open, throwing one leg over the ledge before letting himself drop onto the flat surface of the garage roof.

“Idiot.” Stan muttered, strolling over to the window and sliding it down with a snap.

With his room now officially Richie free, Stan returned to his desk, plopping back down into his chair and picking up his pen once more.

Richie looked down at his watch as he headed down the street, grimacing at how late it already was. He had just over half an hour to get home or his parents would be on his ass. It’s not like they were horrible, not by a long shot since he would always have banter back and forth with them, but when Richie wasn’t back before ten-thirty, they worried.

Richie broke into a run, intent on making it home before his curfew. Originally his parents had wanted it to be much earlier, but they had come to agreement (after much back and forth bantering and _slight_ arguing that was in no way malicious) that as long as he returned on time every night, he could keep the ten thirty one.

If he was ever late, they would lower it to ten. To Richie this was a fair deal, and he’d always made sure to be home just before ten thirty.

“I see you made it with a minute to spare.” Maggie Tozier greeted her son the moment the door flew open and Richie entered the house.

Glancing up at the clock that hung in the hallway, Richie grinned. “ _Safe_.” He cheered, kicking the door shut gently behind him as Maggie emerged from the kitchen. “Guess that means lil’ ol’ me gets to keep my curfew then, ay, Milady?”

Maggie gave him a gentle slap on the arm. “Yes, I suppose it does. I see you picked out some nice glasses that actually fit you.”

“Indeed I did!” Richie said, pulling off his coat and hanging it up on the only empty peg by the door. “Lovely lil’ lad helped me pick ‘em out.”

Maggie shook her head in amusement, wiping her hands on her apron. “Eddie has good taste.” She said, grasping her son’s chin gently with her hand, tilting his head side to side. “Very good taste. They look good on you. You look, dare I say it, like a handsome young man.”

“Gross.” Richie joked, batting her hand away from his face. “Glad you approve of them. Eddie will be too. He spent an hour looking for something both ‘practical and Richie’.”

Maggie giggled, stifling it with her hand. “Of course he did. You have a good friend there, Richie.”

“The best!”

“And don’t you forget it.”

“No ma’am. I will forever remember that Edward Kaspbrak is the best friend a person could have. Well… along with one Stanley Uris of course.”

“Of course.” Maggie agreed. “I suppose you _do_ need two people to keep you in line sometimes.”

“More than two, actually!” Richie corrected, following his mother as she made her way to the kitchen. “I have six of them to keep me in line. Well, five now…” He stopped by the refrigerator to grab a can of soda, leaning against the counter as he popped it open. “Speaking of which, Ben says our dear Beverly is going to be visiting over Christmas.”

“That’s wonderful!” Maggie said, fumbling with the back of her apron in an attempt to untie it. “I think it’s sweet that she still comes back to visit. I thought for sure that she’d never want to come back after what happened to her dad.”

Richie grimaced mid-sip, and then placed his can onto the counter. “Yeah. We all know she comes back for Ben.” He joked, approaching Maggie and batting her hands away from the apron strings. “I was wondering, if it’s okay with you two…” Richie paused, tugging at the knot in the apron strings to loosen it. “That maybe we could have a little party. A very responsible one, mind you, under your hawk like supervision.”

“Well, I suppose you can use the basement.” Maggie said, removing the apron once Richie patted her shoulder for the all-clear. “We put a television and a sofa in there for a reason. You guys could have a sleepover like when you were kids… but…”

“Ah, the but… there’s always a _but_.”

“You’re going to help me with a ton of chores for a while.”

Richie raised his hand, giving Maggie a mock two-finger salute. “ _That_ I can do, providing it doesn’t cut into my study sessions with Eddie.”

“Well, find out the days for that and I’ll put you to work on the others. Alright, it’s getting late, Richie, off to bed with you and I’ll talk to your father.”

“Ah, my saviour.” Richie swooned, placing a hand to his chest as he grabbed the can with the other. “I shall sleep now, and pray the verdict from Lord Went is good!”

Maggie rolled her eyes, playfully smacking Richie in the arm with her dishtowel. “Go to bed already, sweetie. You already look like you’re dead on your feet. I won’t have you getting sick on top of it too.”

“Right-o, ma’am! Tell the Lord I love him and goodnight! I wouldn’t like to distract his relaxation!”

“ _Richie_.”

“Alright, alright, fine!” Richie turned, heading back into the hallway. He paused by the living room, poking his head around the doorframe to take in his father who was sitting in front of the television watching some kind of documentary. “Night dad! Love you!”

Went rose a hand, waving it in the air near his head. “Night, love you too kid. Get some sleep for once so I don’t have to hear you skulking around your room like a malevolent gremlin.”

“I don’t know if I should be offended by that or not.” Richie said, earning him a laugh from his father.


	3. Chapter Three

 

Sundays, in Richie’s personal opinion, were supposed to be days of rest and relaxation; free from all kinds of responsibilities. He was supposed to be at home either playing a videogame or reading one of his comic books. He was not supposed to be sitting here in Eddie’s room studying for a project for a class that he wasn’t even taking.

But he _had_ promised to help Eddie, and that was what he intended to do.

“Okay, so what am I supposed to be doing exactly?” Richie asked, picking up one of the books from Eddie’s desk that was titled _A History of Derry._

Eddie, who was currently sitting on the floor with a book already open and his notebook beside it, paused in chewing on the end of his pen, glancing over to Richie. “Just rifle through the book and find a historical place to write about. That’s _all_ you have to do. I can make the notes for Jess to write up because let’s face it, if you write the actual report, the teacher is gonna know that Jess didn’t do it.”

“I can make _notes_ , Eds.” Richie grumbled as he opened the text book, starting to flick through the pages.

“Richie, your handwriting is _barely_ readable.” Eddie muttered, turning his attention back to his work. “I’m gonna spare Jess the horror.”

Richie scoffed, turning another page in the book. “Rude. And here I thought you loved me.”

Eddie leaned forward, writing something down into his notebook. “Keep dreaming, Trashmouth.”

Richie rolled his eyes, slowly flicking through the book one page at a time, taking in the location before shaking his head and looking for another one. He could hear Eddie scribbling away in his notebook, huffing once in a while whenever he copied something down wrong.

“Thanks again, by the way, for coming to help me.” Eddie said, pausing in his writing long enough to look at Richie for a moment before he returned to his work.

“No problem, Eddiebear!” Richie said, turning another page. “I still think it’s sweet what you did. I don’t think you saw just how much she _really_ appreciated it.”

“Yeah, well, she’s still Jess.” Eddie said, writing something else down into his notebook. “Doesn’t matter who she dates, right?”

“Right.” Richie confirmed, shaking his head and turning another page, trying to find something that Jess would actually write about. “Did you know Stan asked her to the winter formal?”

_Shit. Was that supposed to be private?_

“Yeah.” Eddie said, bringing the pen back to his mouth to chew on the end. “She felt so bad about it, and then she said something about not going at all.”

“Wait, she’s not going?”

Eddie shot him a look. “Come on Rich. Do you really think the school will be okay with Jess and Lucille going to the dance _together_ as a couple?”

“No one should miss out on something like this though.” Richie defended. “What about you? You going?”

“No.” Eddie turned a page in his book and started to read over it. “There’s no point going without a date, right? Oh wait, look who I’m talking to. You probably have one.”

“Guess again, cowboy.” Richie turned another page with a low hum. “Okay I found something. Do you think Jess would write about the Black Spot?”

“Definitely.” Eddie said, furrowing his brow as he tried to concentrate. “Maybe you need to actually talk to her sometime and see just how much of an activist she really is. She’ll be pleased you picked that one.”

“Great, I’ll start making notes you can translate for Jess!” Richie said, taking a seat with his back pressed up against Eddie’s bed.

“Fine. Just… write in capital letters or something so I can understand it.” Eddie said, pushing a blank notebook to him with a pen.

Richie grabbed the notebook, propping it on his leg. “You got it, Eds!”

“Don’t call me that! You were supposed to be on your best behaviour!”

“Right, right, I’m sorry.” Richie said, uncapping the pen before glancing over at the text book. “I’ll be good now, I promise.”

Eddie hummed unsurely, but he returned to making his own notes, thankful that he only had to make half the notes for the project now. Once in a while, Richie would glance over to him, taking in his tense posture. Sometimes Eddie would shift, bringing a hand to his shoulder to rub at it gently before returning to his work, and sometimes he would wriggle slightly as though trying to get comfortable.

They’d been working for a little over an hour when Richie finally set his books aside and crawled across the space between them. He settled behind Eddie, extending his legs either side of him.

Eddie looked back over his shoulder at him, brow furrowed in confusion. “What the hell are you doing Rich?”

“You looked tense so I’m going to help you out a little.” Richie supplied, pressing his hands against Eddie’s shoulders. “You think I didn’t notice you keep shifting uncomfortably? You need to relax a little.”

“Right, yeah, I’ll just tell my body to – _oh_.” Richie’s thumbs pressed just to the top of his spine and Eddie felt his head tilting to one side.

“That’s what I thought.” Richie chuckled, his fingers gently pressing into the space just above his collarbone. Everywhere he pressed his fingers felt tense, and Richie applied some pressure in order to ease the tension and work out the knots. “You’re such a bundle of stress, Eds. It’s really not good for you.”

“Shit.” Eddie all but groaned, leaning back against Richie. “Why are you so good at this?”

Richie grinned, rubbing his palms against Eddie’s shoulders. “Talented hands and all that. It’s not the only thing they’re good at you –”

“Beep, beep Richie.” Eddie said, his head falling back against Richie’s shoulder. “Shit, you should charge people for this once you’ve turned them to a mass of goo. They’d be too out of it to argue with your prices.”

Richie chuckled, continuing his attempt to release the knots in Eddie’s shoulders. “If your shoulders are this bad, I can’t help but wonder just how tense the rest of your damn body is.”

“Sh-shut up Rich.”

Richie shifted his hands down, pressing his thumbs against Eddie’s back. When Eddie released another groan, Richie couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “Damn, you really are a tense bundle of Eddie Spaghetti, aren’t you?”

“Fuck you.”

“What a fantastic idea.”

“What the _fuck_ Richie?”

“I’m just messin’ Eds. How about you do your work, and I’ll release this tension from you?”

Eddie sank his teeth into his lower lip as Richie’s hands travelled further down his back. “Yeah, because I can really focus on my work right now.”

“Oh good. I like it when a person’s attention is fixed solely on me.” Richie practically purred, shifting his hands even lower, the tips of his fingers pressing against Eddie’s hips.

Eddie shifted uncomfortably between Richie’s legs. “T-too far, Rich.”

“Sorry.” Richie said, moving his hands back up to the middle of Eddie’s back.

After a few more minutes of torturing Eddie with his roaming hands that had effectively turned his poor friend into a mass of goo that was now sitting with his back pressed flush against Richie’s chest and his head against the other’s shoulder, Richie circled his arms around him, linking his fingers together against Eddie’s stomach.

“Now what are you doing?” Eddie asked.

“I’m hugging you, silly.” Richie said, amusement laced into his voice.

“Yes but _why_?”

“I like hugging you.” Richie shrugged, tightening his arms around Eddie. “It’s like hugging a comfort bear or something. Especially after last we –”

“Rich –”

“No way Eds. That was the first decent amount of sleep I’d had in a while and you were so _adorable_ all curled up against me when I woke up.”

“Ugh.” Eddie groaned, playfully smacking his arm. “You’re embarrassing me.”

“It’s not like there’s anyone around.” Richie pointed out.

Eddie twisted slightly in Richie’s grip. “Richie –”

“Sorry, I’ll stop.” Richie said, his face turning serious. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s –” Eddie paused, his brow furrowing as he tried to think of how to word what he desperately wanted to say. “I – remember what I asked you at the café?”

Richie hummed, tapping his fingers idly again Eddie’s side. “It was just yesterday Eds, I remember.”

“Right, yeah, well. I uh –”

Richie could see the panic building up in Eddie’s eyes, unlinking his hands to rub one gently against his back. “Hey, calm down, okay? Take your time.”

Eddie nodded, swallowing thickly. “Right – yeah – okay – uh –” He continued to stare up at Richie, drinking in the warm and inviting look on his face. “Okay – here goes. Richie there’s something I have to tell you, and if you tell anyone else I will _actually_ fucking murder you in your sleep –”

“ _Eddie._ ”

“Right, rambling. Sorry. Okay.” Eddie sucks in a deep breath. “Okay, Rich, I just wanted you to know I’m –”

“Eddie, I’m home!” Sonia’s voice called from downstairs, followed by the slam of the front door. “Where are you?”

Eddie scrambled out of Richie’s arms and to his feet, rushing to his open door. “I’m up here Ma’. I’ll be down in a sec!”

Richie climbed to his feet, dusting himself off. “Well, that’s my cue.” He kept his voice low as he crept around Eddie’s room, grabbing his things quietly, including the text book he’d been making notes from. “If dear Sonia finds me in here she’ll lock you up over Christmas, and we can’t have that.”

“Y-yeah.” Eddie said, following Richie over to the window. “She’ll come around, you know.”

Richie snorted. “I extremely doubt that, my dear little Eddiebear. For some reason she’s under the impression that _I_ would break your arm.”

“I tried to tell her it was a biking accident.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it, okay? It’s better that she thinks it was just me than thinking everyone had a part in it.” Richie pulled Eddie into a hug, resting his chin against the top of his head. “I’m just glad she still lets you come hang out.”

Eddie huffed. “Yeah but I have to lie to her and say Stan’s gonna be there so there’s a… _responsible person out with us._ ”

Richie chuckled at Eddie’s impression of his mother, releasing him from the hug. “We should really send him something nice for Christmas. I was surprised he agreed to it since he’s _such a responsible person_.”

“That’s because for some ungodly reason, he likes you.”

“I think the jury might still be out on that one.” Richie said, swinging a leg out of the window as he shouldered his bag. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, my dear Rapunzel.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Rich? I’m not locked up.” Eddie complained.

“Might as well be sometimes.” Richie winked.

“Shut up!”

“Eddie what’s taking you so long?” Sonia called.

“I’m just finishing something up for school!” Eddie called back over his shoulder. “Give me a second! I’m almost done!”

Richie shook his head in mock disappointment before he leaned out of the window, grabbing the conveniently placed tree outside and using it to scramble back down to the ground while Eddie vanished to distract Sonia. The years of sneaking in and out of Eddie’s room had helped him to perfect his skill of climbing down the tree, and the moment his feet touched the ground, Richie was running.

_What the hell was Eddie trying to tell him?_


	4. Chapter Four

 

“Hanlon, you beautiful bastard, score that basket for us, baby!”

Mike Hanlon stumbled in surprise at the sound of the shout that suddenly echoed across the gym Tuesday after school during his basketball practice. One of his other teammates, Ryan Canny, let out a chuckle as he grabbed Mike’s arm in order to stop him from falling over before helping him to right himself.

“Tozier’s here.” Ryan said, nodding his head towards the bleachers.

Mike looked over to where the bleachers were to see that Richie was standing up on one of the benches with his hands cupped over his mouth, an equally enthusiastic Bill standing by his side. Both of them were cheering loudly for Mike while Stan sat quietly just behind them, one of his many bird books in hand.

He was busy pointing some things out to Ben on the pages who seemed mildly interested in what Stan was telling him, the two of them no doubt trying to pretend that they _weren’t_ here with the two loudmouths who were now jumping up and down on the bench.

“That he is.” Mike said, returning the chuckle. “The others too.”

“Yep! It looks like your friends getting Hanlon Withdrawal Syndrome. At least Friday is our last game since we have the dance coming up.” Ryan said, clapping Mike on the shoulder.

“Come on Mike! Show ‘em just what an amazing guy you are, you magnificent man!” Richie shouted, earning another laugh from Ryan.

“Is he always that loud?”

“That he is.” Mike said, heaving a sigh. “Love the guy to pieces though.”

He looked back over to the bleachers in time to see Stan throw his book at the back Richie’s head, the ‘ow’ that followed echoing through the gym while Richie stumbled forward and rubbed at the abused area.

A group of cheerleaders sitting at the foot of the bleachers giggled as Richie righted himself and twisted on the bench, almost falling over in the process, where he began to shout various things at Stan for his ‘unlawful attack’.

“He’s so loud and annoying.” Greta said, crossing her arms over her chest, pompoms still in hand.

“Ahh, Richie’s alright.” Lucille said, leaning back on the bench.

Marcia snorted, rolling her eyes. “Really? Richie Two Inchie?”

Lucille turned to Marcia, a faux smile on her face. “You wanna shut that mouth before I shut it for you?”

Greta giggled, patting Lucille on the shoulder in an effort to keep her calm. “How would you even _know_ that anyway? Did you –”

Marcia scoffed. “No! Don’t be gross, Greta. Who would want to touch _that_ loser?”

“Well it’s not like he’s unattractive now…” Greta mused.

Lucille sighed, propping her head up with her hand as she blocked out the bickering girls either side of her.

“Hey, Charlie, gimme that ball.” Mike said, clapped his hands towards the teammate in question.

Charlie bounced the ball against the floor towards Mike who caught it with a grin. He turned quickly, adjusting his grip on the ball briefly before he launched it at the bleachers. The ball collided with the back of a still shouting Richie’s head, knocking the boy off kilter. He stumbled, reaching out and grabbing at Bill’s arm.

Bill swayed from the sudden grip on his arm and stumbled into Richie, sending both of them down onto the gym floor in a heap with a loud bang. Stan smirked, picking up his book and opening it once more to continue reading.

“Take a hint Richie, you’re distracting them!” Lucille called as Ben picked up the ball and threw it back to Mike.

Richie groaned from his place under Bill, slowly sitting up and rubbing at the back of his head. “There was just no need for that.”

“There was _every_ need for that.” Stan said, idly turning a page in his book as Ben returned to the seat beside him.

“I thu-think you just got double teamed by Team Stanlon.” Bill said, attempting to hold in his laughter as she shakily got to his feet.

“Team – _don’t name it, Bill! That’s how it becomes a thing._ ” Richie hissed.

“Team Stanlon is best team.” Stan said, not bothering to look up from his book; though he did give a wise nod at his own words.

“See what you did, Big Bill?” Richie asked, waving his hand in Stan’s general direction. “You gave Stan an ego!”

“Hey, where’s Eddie anyway? Wasn’t he supposed to join us?” Stan asked, looking around the gym.

“If you recall, Staniel, he said he needed to talk to Jess about something as we were leaving the hell of math class.” Richie said, finally climbing to his feet. “I think it’s something to do with their history project.”

Stan looked down at his watch. “That was an hour ago, Richie.”

“Well, then, it seems I’ve lost my dear Eddie Spaghetti.” Richie mused, checking his own watch. “I’ll go see if I can find him.”

“You do that. Give the rest of us some peace from your loudness.” Stan said, returning to showing Ben things in his book.

Richie raced from the gym, the doors slamming loudly behind him as he left. He took the stairs to the second floor two at a time, hoping that Eddie hadn’t run into some kind of trouble. Not that he couldn’t handle himself, of course.

Richie had seen him take down a murderous clown of all things before, but if he got outnumbered… that was a different thing.

He knew from experience that being outnumbered did _not_ end well.

“How am I supposed to tell them, Jess?” Eddie asked, tugging at his hair in frustration as Jessica opened her locker, trying not smack her frazzled friend in the face with the door. “They’re not – how do I tell them what I am?”

“Who.” Jessica shoved some books into her locker, looking over the others to see what she needed to take home.

Eddie peered around the door, a scowl set on his face. “I told you, Jess, my frie –”

“No, Eddie.” Jessica said, stifling a giggle. “I mean _who_ you are. Your sexuality doesn’t make you anything less than _who_ , because it’s a part of who you are. Don’t ever let anyone make you think you become something else because of it like you’re just some kind of object. I didn’t. I’m Jessica Hooper; proud lesbian of Derry High who dates the bisexual captain of the cheering squad; Lucille.”

Eddie couldn’t hold back his laugh at her enthusiasm. “Okay, then I’m Edward Kaspbrak, gay senior who likes his best friend, Richard the god damn Trashmouth Tozier. Wow. That’s the first time I actually said all of that out loud to someone in one go.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of you, Ed!” Jessica cheered before grabbing one of the textbooks in her locker with a hum of interest. “So, Eddie likes Richie. Well isn’t that a tasty bit of locker room gossip?”

“Jess!” Eddie complained.

“Hey, it’s not my fault the other girls talk about these things!”

“What, you talk about who isn’t straight?”

“No, _they_ talk about who is hot, cute, etc. You’re on the cute list by the way.”

Eddie looked away from her with a huff. “Girls are weird.”

“That they are, Eddie. I’m a girl and I don’t understand girls.” Jessica said, shoving the book into her backpack before grabbing the next one. “Now, what you want to do is test the water with everyone else. Do what you did with Richie. Ask them hypothetical questions, and when you _know_ your friends are okay with it in a hypothetical sense, you can just… tell them _hey guys, I like dick._ ”

“Getting advice from you is oddly similar to getting it from Richie.” Eddie muttered. “I still don’t think it’s gonna be that easy.”

“Sorry Ed, I was never good at the coming out thing. I didn’t tell my parents. They just found out. My friend found out. My whole school found out. This move was supposed to fix me but damn Lucille is _fine._ ”

“Wait. _That’s_ why you moved here? They thought they could fix you? They actually thought you were fucking _broken_ or sick?” Eddie asked.

“A-yup. That’s how some parents are. It’s a harsh fact I learned to just live with over the years.” Jessica shoved the next book into her backpack and slammed her locker shut. “They said something about how small close minded town would be the best environment to ‘cure’ me from my ‘affliction’. Honestly…”

“Do you think they knew just how bad Derry was before you moved?”

Jessica hummed, shouldering her backpack. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they did, Ed. Anyway… back to you. If those guys are _really_ your friends, then they won’t care who you date and they’ll support you all the way. That’s a true friend.”

Eddie smiled. “Yeah – yeah you’re right. And if they don’t, I still have you, right?”

Jessica nodded hooking a hand around her bag strap. “Haven’t left you yet have I?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t plan to ever. So… Richie huh?”

“Nope! We’re not going back to that Jess!”

“Oh come on, I just wanna know the attraction.”

“Well –”

Eddie was saved, as luck would have it, by the very subject of their conversation rounding the corner right at that moment. Jessica raised a hand to her mouth and made a zipping motion; a promise not bring anything up around him as she adjusted her backpack.

“Hey Rich, what’s up?” Jessica greeted.

“I was concerned about our little Eddie Spaghetti here since he was late to meet us.” Richie said, turning around to walk between them with an arm around their necks. “That and team Stanlon were being mean to me.”

“I’m sorry team _what_?” Jessica asked, confusion clear in her voice.

“It’s what Bill named Stan and Mike after they double teamed me and probably gave me a concussion via book and ball to the head. Fortunately my partner in crime here won’t let them do that once he joins us in the gym.”

Eddie snorted, and Jessica giggled. “So does that make you guys… team…” She furrowed her brow for a moment. “Eddzier? No… Tozbrak? No… that doesn’t sound right either...”

Eddie groaned. “Jess don’t encourage Rich –”

“I got it!” Jessica said, grinning. “How about Team Reddie?”

“You literally just put an R in front of my name.” Eddie pointed out.

“I like it!” Richie said, squeezing his arm around Jessica’s neck in an attempt at a hug. “Team Reddie it is!”

“Team Reddie!” Jessica cheered, attempting to high-five Richie. “Now _there’s_ a team that I can get behind.”

“Yeah! We’re _tons_ better than _Team Stanlon._ ”

Eddie let out another groan, leaning into Richie. “Why is this a thing?”

Richie flicked the side of Eddie’s head gently. “If you’re gonna complain about it, then go and complain to Bill. I told you, Eddiebear… he was the one who started it.”

“ _Eddiebear_?” Jessica repeated, stifling a giggle with her hand. “That’s fucking cute.”

“Yeah?” Richie asked, leaning towards Jessica. “And what does Lucille call _you_ I wonder?”

“That,” Jessica placed a hand to his cheek, pushing his face away from her, “is absolutely, most definitely _not_ your business.”

“Can’t blame a guy for tryin’.” Richie shrugged, shooting her a grin. “So does this make you and Lucille Team Jessiclle?”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Nope, it makes us avid supports of Team Reddie and we’re gonna beat Team Stanlon.”

“It’s not a sport!” Eddie protested, throwing his hands up.

“He’s so not a team player.” Richie sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

“Oh he’s a team player alright.” Jessica said, shooting the shorter boy a wink when Richie wasn’t looking.

 _I hate you_. Eddie mouthed, though the smile on his face betrayed him.

“How long does it take to find Eddie?” Stan asked, checking his watch. “The school is only so big. Did his idiot ass get lost?”

“It’s Richie.” Mike said, dropping his gym bag onto the bench beside Bill. “He’s probably tormenting Eddie.”

“If you can call it that.” Stan said, tucking his book into his bag.

Mike snorted. “True. How long do you think it’ll take those idiots to realise they’re crazy about each other?”

Stan stood, brushing down his pants. “Too long. I’m debating just smacking their heads together and knocking some sense into them.”

“Sup fuckers?” Richie greeted as he threw open the gym doors. “Didn’t mean to take so long, but Eds wasn’t where I thought he was.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Excuse me for having another friend and walking her to her locker.”

“My hero.” Jessica said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “See you tomorrow Ed.”

Eddie shoved her playfully, and Jessica stumbled with a giggle as Lucille emerged from the direction of the locker room, gym bag over her shoulder. Jessica took the bag and slung it over her free shoulder, linking her hand in Lucille’s.

“Any of you guys need a ride?” Jessica called.

“I’ll take you up on that offer, Jess! It beats riding with Richie’s crazy ass.” Mike said, grabbing his bags.

“Rude.” Richie huffed. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with my driving ability, Hanlon.”

“I’ll believe that when you stop almost knocking Stan over!” Mike called, jogging across the gym to where Jessica was waiting with Lucille.

“Do you think Mike releases that a planned attempt on my life?” Stan asked, glancing to Bill.

“I thu-think he chooses to ignore i-it.”

“Typical. My own friends ignore Richie’s attempts to assassinate me in the school parking lot.” Stan said, shaking his head. “You need a ride or you riding with Richie?”

“I’m guh-gonna take a pass on Ruh-Richie.”

Stan snorted, stepping over the bench. “Alright then, come on. Ben! I’m leaving with or without you!”

Ben snapped his phone shut quickly and grabbed his bag, following after them. “Sorry, I was texting Bev.”

“Hu-how is she duh-doing?” Bill asked, holding the gym door open for them.

“Stressed. She’s had five tests this week, and she wants to strangle something.”

Stan arched a brow. “As long as it’s Richie and not me she can strangle away. Am I dropping you at home, Bill or –”

“Or.” Bill cut him off quickly.

Stan nodded, tucking a hand into his pocket to fish out his car keys. “How about I drop Ben first and then come with you so you’re not there alone?”

“Shu-sure Stan. Yu-you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind. I can take you home after too.”

Ben shot them a sideways glance. Four years and Bill still hated to say the term _Speech Therapy_ out loud.

“Thu-thanks Stan.”

Stan smiled, nudging Bill gently in the arm with his elbow. “No problem Bill.”


	5. Chapter Five

 

The therapy office was fairly empty when Bill and Stan walked in, the only other people in there being the receptionist and two adults; a man who was leafing through a magazine and a woman who was idly checking at her watch and then glancing to one of the doors as though waiting for someone to be done.

Or maybe she was just impatient for her own session.

Bill checked in with the receptionist, and the two of them headed over to the waiting area to take seats. Aside from the ticking of the clock across the room, and the sound of the man turning the pages in his magazine, the room was quiet.

“Thu-thanks again for coming with me. I hah-hate waiting here alone.” Bill said, slouching some in his seat.

Stan’s eyes shifted to Bill for a brief moment before back ahead, fixing on the clock pinned to the wall which read four thirty-five. “I can see why. Is it always this dead in here or did they know I was coming?”

Bill snorted, tucking his hands into his pockets as his foot tapped against the floor. “Eh-it’s always like thu-this.”

Stan nodded. “What’s it like?”

“Annoying.”

Stan snorted this time. “I meant what do they have you do?”

“Ruh-reading mostly. It’s all sentences that are suh-supposed to help with the stutter.”

“You do it less, you know. After Geor – well you know. It was worse. But… you’ve been getting better. It’s barely noticeable now.”

“Nu- no it not.”

Stan raised his arm, patting at Bill’s shoulder. “It _is_. I bet by college that stutter will be gone.”

“Thu-thanks.”

A ringing sound echoed through the room, the receptionist picking up the phone to answer it before placing it back down.

“Bill? You can go in now.”

Bill groaned and pushed himself to his feet. “Suh-see you in an hour. Yu-you sure about this?”

Stan rolled his eyes. “I’ll be right here when you come out, Bill. I have ways to entertain myself.”

“Ru-right.”

Stan gave him a reassuring smile, motioning with his hand for Bill to actually attend his appointment. The moment the door closed behind Bill, Stan pulled out his bird book, opening it to the page with the bookmark that was tucked neatly inside.

“I’m surprised you asked to do this.” Richie said, fingers drumming against the porcelain mug in front of him. “Isn’t your mother going to send out a search party?”

Eddie snorted mid-sip of his coffee, almost choking on the scalding liquid. “This is the day I’ usually at Jess’ to do work. If I go home too early she’s gonna get suspicious.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining.” Richie said, stalling his drumming. “It’s just not every day you ask me to hang out just the two of us, you know?”

Eddie frowned at Richie from across the table. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been really busy with all this dumb homework lately. Christmas break is coming up though. We can hang out more.”

“Yeah.” Richie said, lips curving into a smile. “I’d really like that, Eds.”

Eddie stared at Richie for a moment, simply taking in his best friend, trying to push down the fluttering feeling he was getting from that smile. He hated that he hadn’t been able to open up to Richie, or that he didn’t really know what – _who_ – Richie was.

The only thing he knew was that there was no way he was going to come out to Richie in this café while Troy and his friends were sitting right behind them. While they were definitely _not_ as bad as Henry Bowers and his friends had been, they were still _bad_.

And he didn’t need Troy and his friends hounding him or Richie over this.

“Hey, you feeling okay?” Richie asked, snapping Eddie back into reality. “You’re being really quiet.”

“I’m fine Rich I just –” Eddie paused, trying once again to push down the annoying fluttering he was getting from the sheer look of concern on Richie’s face. “I just missed this – you – me – us.”

“Me too, Eds.” Richie said, lifting his mug for a quick drink. “I’m gonna have to start charging Jess for every minute she steals you away.”

Eddie playfully nudged Richie’s foot under the table. “You sound like a jealous boyfriend. We’re not dating, Richie.”

“Unfortunately.”

Eddie stared. “Wh-what?”

Richie grinned. “I’m kidding Eds.”

“Jerk.” Eddie said, kicking his foot with a chuckle. “So how have you been sleeping?”

“A little better.” Richie said, a small content smile on his face. “Not as good as that time you were a teddy bear, but I’ll take it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?”

Eddie sighed. “I’m sorry that you still remember it so clearly. I’m sorry that it affects you so much that you can’t sleep, and if I could make it better I –”

Richie reached across the table, grabbing Eddie’s hand. “Hey, I’m gonna be fine, Eds. Calm down before you work yourself into a panic attack.”

Eddie nodded, working on calming his breathing down. Oddly, he found it was easier to do that when Richie was holding his hand.

He liked Richie holding his hand. He wanted him to do it more.

“That went by faster than I thought it would.” Stan said, tucking his bookmark against the page he’d been reading when Bill crossed the waiting room towards him, closing the book and tucking it back into his bag. “Ready to go?”

“Juh- just a minute. I hah-have to book the next one.”

Stan nodded, shouldering his bag while he waited for Bill to make his next appointment. The receptionist handed Bill a small card with a smile and a ‘see you next week’ before the two of them left.

“Straight home or do you want to do something else first?” Stan asked once they were outside. “I can imagine you want to unwind after that.”

Bill took a quick glance around the street. “Cuh-café?”

“Sure thing, Bill.”

The two of them crossed the street quickly and headed into the café. The first thing Stan noticed upon entering was the booth near the back that was occupied by Richie and Eddie thanks to Richie’s god awful orange shirt with flame like designs that was hanging over his black t-shirt; the two of them so deep into their conversation that they hadn’t even noticed Stan and Bill had entered the café.

“One of these days, I’m going to burn those shirts.” Stan said, gaining Bill’s attention.

“Cuh- Christ.” Bill said as they joined the line of people waiting to get drinks. “He’s like a fuh-fucking beacon. Wuh- was he wearing that earlier?”

“No, and that’s what disturbs me.” Stan said, his attention drifting from the abomination of a shirt to Bill. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a stack of those things in his trunk or something.”

“Me nuh-neither.” Bill chuckled. “Duh-do you think they’re on a duh-date?”

“I doubt it.” Stan said, moving forward as the line did. “They’re idiots who don’t realise the other one is totally crazy for them.”

“Buh-but they’re guh-gonna.”

Stan nodded, fishing out his wallet. “One of them will snap eventually and it’s either going to make or break them.”

“Probably Ruh-Richie.”

“Probably. What are you having Bill?”

Eddie drummed his fingers against the table nervously. Now would be a good time to tell Richie what he’d been trying to say. The group of boys from their school who had been sitting behind them in the other booth were gone now; replaced with an elderly couple who were probably too deaf to even hear their conversation.

He watched Richie, who was now leaning so far back on the bench that his feet were now propped up against the one across from him between Eddie and the wall, a content smile on his face at just the two of them _being_ here, completely zoned out and just enjoying this moment.

“Rich?” Eddie asked, bringing Richie back to the reality around him.

“Mhm?”

“About what I wanted to tell you the weekend…”

Richie seemed interested now, sitting up slightly in his seat. “Yeah? What did you want to tell me, Eds?”

“First of all don’t – you know what never mind. Here goes.” Eddie sucked in a breath, curling his hand around the edge of the table. “Rich I’ve been trying to tell you that I –”

“Hu- hi guys.” Bill said, appearing at the side of their table. “Duh- do you mind? Place is full.”

Eddie groaned.

_Interrupted again._

He motioned to the seat beside him and Bill slid into the booth next to Eddie, Stan taking a seat behind Richie where he immediately snapped his fingers at his friend.

“Sit up straight before you hurt your back.”

“Christ Staniel, you’re not my mother.” Richie snapped, dropping his feet from the other bench and slowly sitting up.

“Yet you fucking comply.” Eddie quipped.

“Yeah well…” Richie huffed, crossing his arms against the table. “You know what Staniel is like. He’ll hound me relentlessly until I do what he says and I just can’t be bothered to deal with that shit today. I’m tired.”

A look of concern crossed Eddie’s face. “Richie –”

“You don’t have to worry Eds. I’m just trying to fix my sleeping pattern up, that’s all. I told you this already, momma Kaspbrak. I’m sleeping better, just not _completely_ better.”

“Is there suh-suh-something wrong?” Bill asked, shooting a concerned look to Richie.

“I just haven’t been sleeping well lately. Stress from all that homework, you know?”

He felt bad keeping secrets from his friends like this, but he just didn’t want them to worry.

The clown was gone.

It was Richie’s own mind playing tricks on him.

He didn’t need Bill to worry about him.

As if sensing his thoughts, Eddie nudged his knee against Richie’s again. Richie glanced to Eddie who offered him a comforting smile. Over the years, Eddie and Richie had worked out a system for checking on each other around other people if it was something they didn’t want to be overheard.

One of them would nudge the other roughly with their knee, a silent question to ask if the other was okay. The other would respond to this question by tapping the table with a single finger one to three times as discreetly as they could.

One for yes.

Two for unsure.

Three for no.

“Are you shu-sure?” Bill asked.

“You can tell us if there’s something wrong, Rich.” Stan said. “You know that. We’re your friends and we’re here for you.”

“Billiam, Staniel.” Richie sighed, turning his attention to them while Eddie watched him raise a single finger from the table. “I’m,” there was a tap on the table almost like Richie was just simple punctuating his words, “absolutely,” there was a second tap, and Eddie held his breath, waiting for a moment, “fine.” There was a third and final tap against the table.

Eddie frowned. “Hey Rich, think you can give me a ride home?”

Richie nodded, grabbing his bag. “Sure thing, Eds! Alright Staniel, shoo, I need to get out to take Eddie home before Mrs Kaspbrak sounds out the army looking for him.”

Stan rolled his eyes with a sigh and slid out of the booth, allowing Richie to awkwardly stumble out. Eddie, simply climbed over Bill instead of waiting for him to move, grabbing Richie’s hand for support to climb down from the bench.

“Impatient much?” Stan asked, an amused smirk on his face.

“Shut up Stanley!” Eddie shot over his shoulder, releasing Richie’s hand before the two of them made their exit.

“Maybe we’re wrong.” Stan said, the amusement still on his face. “Maybe Eddie’s gonna be the one to snap first.”

Bill chuckled, sipping at his drink. “Muh-maybe.”


	6. Chapter Six

 

As they always had always done, Stan, Bill, Ben, Eddie, and Richie had shown up Friday night to watch Mike in action, sitting near the back of the bleachers with Jessica who Richie was certain had no interest in the game itself, but rather her cheerleading girlfriend who performed impressive moves on the court during halftime.

Eddie wondered, briefly, just how both of the managed to be in the same room and yet act like they weren’t dating. He didn’t understand how Jessica hadn’t already scrambled down the bleachers to attach herself to her girlfriend. Jessica was just sitting there on Richie’s other side, staring ahead at the court.

There was no indication that Jessica was watching her girlfriend, and Lucille never once looked back at them to see if she could find Jessica anywhere in the crowd. It was vastly different from the Jessica and Lucille he saw outside of school.

He had no idea how they did it. If, in some crazy mixed up version of their lives, he was somehow dating Richie, he was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be able to contain himself.

Then again, Richie wouldn’t be down at the courtside. They’d be sitting here at the back where he could just reach over and take his hand and no one would ever notice. Eddie jumped when he felt his hand bump against Richie’s.

At some point between all of his thinking, he’d been reaching out, and the side of his hand was now pressed against Richie’s. Richie’s attention was fixed on the game. Or least he thought it was until Richie placed his hand over his own.

It was just like the café all over again, and Eddie found that he liked the thrill of holding Richie’s hand like around tons of other people who could turn around at any minute and see. Richie’s fingers threaded through his own, their hands curling around the edge of the bench between them.

Eddie nudged his knee against Richie’s, the question not ‘are you okay’ but rather ‘is this okay’ which he knew Richie would pick up on, and he felt the smile curve on his face when one of Richie’s fingers moved between his, tapping at the bench once, their attention still on the game.

Ryan had thrown the ball to Mike. Mike had caught it, ducking under the arm of a taller boy on the opposing team, heading right for the basket as he dribbled the ball. Someone on the other team crashed into Mike, stealing the ball and knocking him over.

Ryan helped Mike up, clapping his shoulder in silent question. Mike grinned and nodded, the two of them running back down the court. Charlie intercepted a pass, slamming the ball against the court under someone’s arm to pass it to Ryan.

Ryan caught the ball and turned sharply, tossing it to Mike. Mike headed for the basket again and went for the shot once he was in range. The ball hit the board behind the basket and then the rim of the basket before it toppled in a few seconds before the buzzer sounded.

_They’d won the game._

The bleachers had erupted into cheers as everyone stood, and both Lucille and Greta were performing some impressive cheering displays on the court while the team celebrated. Charlie hugging Mike tightly. Mike’s friends were cheering the loudest, Richie throwing in some whistles.

“I knew our boy with fucking win this!” Richie shouted, releasing Eddie’s hand to throw his arms around his waist, lifting him from the ground in celebration, forcing the shorter boy to grab onto his shoulders to keep himself steady.

In this moment, Richie was the only thing Eddie could focus on, the noise of the cheers around him becoming nothing more than background buzzing. Richie arched a brow, watching Eddie carefully. His expression was somewhere between looking like he was going to hurl, and looking like some kind of deep realization had come crashing down on him.

He hadn’t seen an expression like that since Eddie had broken mostly free of his mother’s control.

“Rich –”

“Mhm?”

“Come on – feet – ground.”

“Sorry, this is what you get for being the shortest, _Eddiebear_.” Richie said, slowly lowering him back to the ground. “Still up for tonight?”

“My shit’s already in your car, dumbass.” Eddie quipped, removing his hands from Richie’s shoulders.

“True, true.” Richie mused, his attention shifting to Jessica. “We’re gonna get Mike now, do you and Lucille still want that ride?”

Jessica nodded. “Yeah, I’ll go get her. Thanks again for this Richie. I can’t believe my car just _died_ like that.”

Richie patted Eddie on the shoulder with a grin. “You should get Eds here to take a look at it. He’s fixed mine before due to low funds, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with it.”

Eddie felt his face heat up at the compliment. “S-sure. I’ll get Rich to bring me over tomorrow and I’ll see what’s wrong with it.”

“Great! You guys are awesome!” Jessica called, already clambering down the bleachers. “I’ll get Mike for you!”

“We’ll meet you at the car!” Richie shouted.

Jessica waved a hand over her shoulder to show she’d heard him, vanishing into a crowd of people.

Richie threw his arm back around Eddie, leading the boy from the gym and out into the cold December night. Eddie subconsciously leaned into Richie, and by the time he’d realised what he was doing, Richie had already curled his arms around him, holding him in a vice-grip of a hug to keep him warm while they waited for the others.

“Well, don’t you guys look absolutely _adorable_?” Lucille greeted as she joined them, Mike and Jessica either side of her. “Didn’t mean to interrupt this cute little moment you got going on.”

“Hey Lucille?” Richie released Eddie with a grin, his attention turning to the girl in question. “Kiss my ass.”

Lucille let out a laugh as Richie unlocked the car and opened the door for Eddie. “Sorry Tozier, I have standards. Hanlon is the only guy for me.”

Mike laughed, holding the back door open for Lucille and Jessica before climbing in behind them.

“What power is it that you have over woman, Hanlon?” Richie asked with a chuckle, climbing into the driver’s seat.

“It’s the athlete thing.” Lucille said, grinning at Richie through his rear view mirror.

“Of course it fucking is.” Richie muttered, shaking his head as he pulled out of the parking space. “Who am I dropping first?”

Lucille laced her fingers with Jessica’s. “Me first since I live closest.”

Richie nodded, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel while Eddie fiddled with the radio, Lucille directing Richie to her house. When they stopped by Lucille’s house, she took a moment to give Jessica a long goodbye kiss while Richie chuckled and made a fake gagging noise.

Once she was out of the car, gym bag over her shoulder, she shot a quick thanks to Richie, complete with a playful smack up the head, and closed the door.

“Jess, you next?” Richie asked as he pulled off.

“Please.” Jessica said.

Richie nodded, pulling away from Lucille’s house and turning the corner into Neibolt Street. He suddenly picked up speed as he went down Neibolt Street, specifically the worn down and abandoned house, and Eddie instinctively grabbed his arm while Mike slid across the backseat towards Jessica.

“Do you guys not like this place or something?” Jessica asked, picking up on the sudden tension around her.

Richie gripped at his steering wheel, jaw clenching. “Not really, but it’s the fastest route to your house and I’m thinking your parents want you home before it’s _too_ late.”

“Yeah but that doesn’t mean you have to feel uncomfortable in the –”

“It’s _fine_ Jess.” Richie assured, slowing down at the came to the end of the street so Richie could turn the corner. “Just some bad childhood memories, you know?”

Jessica nodded as Mike slid back across the seat and Eddie slowly uncurled his hand from his arm. They’d always made it a point not to go down Neibolt Street for anything, not that they had to considering most of the time Richie just drove them around, but Richie didn’t want Jessica getting into any kind of trouble with her parents.

Richie pulled up outside of Jessica’s house, and she took a moment to lean forward and give Eddie a quick hug before thanking Richie and climbing out of the car. Once she was inside the house, Richie pulled off, idly tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he headed in the direction of Mike’s farm.

“Thanks for the ride man.” Mike said, squeezing Richie’s shoulder once they’d pulled up at the farm. “There was no way I was squeezing into Stan’s truck.”

Richie chuckled, resting his arm idly on the steering wheel. “No problem man. I wouldn’t expect you to try and squeeze into that. Been there, done that, got the bruises from the door. See you Monday.”

Mike nodded and climbed out of the car. Richie waited like he had with the others until he was inside before pulling off, humming quietly in tune with the song on the radio.

After a few minutes of the almost silent drive, Eddie spoke up. “Hey Rich?” Richie hummed to show he was listening. “Can I uh… talk to you about something?”

Richie nodded, loosening his grip on the wheel to turn a corner. “Anytime Eds. You know that.”

Eddie swallowed, gripping at his jeans. “It’s… really personal and I… I don’t want it to leave us, but I can’t hold this in anymore because I see the way Jessica is and I’m like _hey maybe I should just come clean_ but then there’s a part of me who thinks people are gonna hate me if I say it, but you said you wouldn’t and –”

From his peripheral vision, Richie could see Eddie shaking as he rambled about whatever it was he wanted to talk to him about. Moving one hand from the wheel, he reached over, placing it over Eddie’s and lacing their fingers together, taking careful note on how Eddie _hadn’t_ berated him for calling him Eds again.

Damn this was serious.

“Hey, calm down Eds. Deep breaths, okay?” Richie soothed, keeping a grip on Eddie’s hand as he moved it to gearstick.

Eddie took in a few deep breaths as he felt his hand automatically curl around the stick with Richie’s, allowing him to shift gears. “Okay – yeah – here goes. I need to tell you this now while it’s still just us, because every time I tried to tell you… someone interrupted me and I wasn’t able to tell you.”

Richie nodded with a hum, turning another corner. “I remember. I’ve spent all week trying to figure out what the hell you wanted to tell me the weekend. Is this also what you wanted to tell me the other day before Bill and Stan interrupted you?”

Eddie swallowed, his hand tensing around the gearstick. Richie’s hand shifted enough that he could soothingly rub his thumb against the back of his hand. “Yeah, it is. Okay. I’m just gonna say it, alright? And I just… I want _you_ to know this because you’re my best friend and I trust you to –”

“Deep breath.” Richie said. “Calm down.”

Eddie took in a deep calming breath as Richie had instructed, fingertips rapping gently against the gearstick. “ _I’mgayRichie. I’vebeenkeepingitincauseIthoughtI’dloseyouandIcouldn’thandlethat._ ”

Silence stretched over the car for a moment as Richie furrowed his brow, deciphering what Eddie had blurted out to him in a jumbled mass. “Eds… did you just say you’re gay?”

Eddie nodded, trying to worm his hand out from under Richie’s. He was probably disgusted with him. He probably wanted nothing to do with him now. Richie tightened his grip on Eddie’s hand, pinning it to the gearstick under the guise of shifting gears again.

“Rich –”

Richie stared ahead out the window, and the silence started to suffocate Eddie. This was it. He was going to lose Richie. Just because someone said they’d accept you in _theory_ , it didn’t mean they actually would when it came down to it.

He should have known better.

Richie’s fingers drummed against Eddie’s fingers as his brow furrowed again. Eddie had told him something really personal, and now he was panicking. He could feel it just from the way Eddie’s hand was tensed around the gearstick, not even relaxing at the soothing taps of Richie’s fingers against his own, so Richie did what he did best.

“Hi Gay, I’m Bi.”

Eddie groaned, but his hand seemed to relax under Richie’s at the confession. “I swear to fucking – can you ever be serious? If you’re fucking with me Richie I swear I’m going to fucking –”

“I’m not fucking with you Eds.” Richie assured him, pulling into his driveway and cutting the engine. “And I’ve only told Stan before now because I really needed to get it out. I wanted to tell you too but…”

Eddie nodded, climbing out of the car and grabbing his bag. “I get it. You thought that I’d turn away from you. That I’d think you were a monster… that –”

“Yeah.”

“I felt the same, but then I saw how you guys accept Jess and Lucille for who they are, so I tested the waters like Jess had suggested. I asked how you’d feel, but when you went silent when I _did_ tell you, I thought –”

“I was thinking of the best way to tell you that I wasn’t straight either, and as per usual, it came out as a fucking joke.” Richie shook his head, slamming his car door shut before walking around the car and taking Eddie’s bag from him. “Man I’m terrible at this…”

“Yeah… but that’s what I like about you.” Eddie said, smiling up at him. “You always know how to make the tension go away. You… you make everything okay – better – you – I’m rambling now, aren’t I?”

Richie nodded, complete with a chuckle as he slung an arm around Eddie and led him up the porch steps. He released him to open the front door, holding it open. The low sound of the television could be heard in the living room as they removed their shoes at the door.

“Rich, that you?” Maggie called from the living room.

“Who else would I be, mom?” Richie called, heading towards the living room and peering around the corner. “I’m a minute late by the way, sorry. I dropped Jess, Lucille and Mike off first.”

“It’s fine.” Maggie said, turning her attention from the television to smile at him. “I’d rather you be late than let those poor girls walk home this late at night. You’re a good kid.”

“Ah, this is why I love you, Milady! Understanding… and probably questionably sane if you think I’m good.”

Maggie shook her head in amusement. “Shut up, Rich, you know you are. Is Eddie here with you?”

“Yup, being shy and nervous as always!”

Eddie kicked him in the leg. “Richie! I’m not –”

Maggie giggled, shaking her head. “Well, don’t you two be up too late. You know what a bad sleeping schedule does to the body.”

Richie huffed. “You sound like Eds.”

“Good. At least _one_ of you is sensible.”

Richie huffed again before saying goodnight to his parents, leading Eddie upstairs to his room. Staying over after Mike’s games was a tradition they had started over the years, and Eddie had always enjoyed having just _one_ night when he wasn’t being suffocated with by his mother.

One night where he was in the comfort of Richie’s house and could _really_ breathe and relax.

Richie dropped Eddie’s bag onto the chair at his desk before he dropped onto his bed, stretching out with a sigh. He held out his arms, making some kind of a grabby motion with his hands.

“C’mere Eds.”

Eddie crossed the room, opting to sit beside Richie instead of _on_ him like he was suggesting. Richie huffed at this and sat up, throwing his arms around Eddie in a hug. He dropped back down so that Eddie’s head now rested against his chest, stroking a hand through his hair.

Eddie attempted to lift his head, only for Richie to push it back down. “Don’t ruin my hugging time, Eddiebear! Besides, I think you need it after your almost freak out in the car.”

“Rich – can you – I mean –”

“Is something wrong Eds?” Richie asked, releasing Eddie from his grip.

Eddie slowly sat up, gripping at the edge of the bed as he took in a few calming breaths. “It’s just well – I –”

“Take it easy.” Richie said, tucking his hands behind his bed. “Don’t force yourself to say something you’re not ready to say. You confessed enough tonight, if you ask me. You need to take is easy.”

“I just – I want to but – it’s hard to just say it.”

Richie arched a brow and slowly pushed himself up, placing his hand over Eddie’s comfortingly. “Take your time then.”

Eddie nodded, taking in another calming breath as he looked up at Richie. “Promise me something first. That you won’t…”

“Hey, I’m still here right? I’m not going _anywhere_ anytime soon.”

Richie felt Eddie’s fingers sink into the edge of the blanket as if attempting to ground himself. Richie was so damn _close_ to him right now. Everything about him was invading his senses and yet…

_Shit._

He _liked_ it. He liked the overwhelming scent of Richie. He liked him being so close that he was almost pressed against him – that his mouth was just _right there_. He could easily just tilt his head up. Who needed words, anyway?

“Eds.” Richie soothed, moving his free hand to Eddie’s face, fingers spreading across his cheek. “Where’d you go?”

And _damn_ he liked it when Richie touched him or soothed him with the way he said ‘Eds’. He never admitted it, especially not to Richie, but he _liked_ it when Richie called him that. It was so _personal._ A name that only _Richie_ called him.

“Eds.” Richie tried again, his thumb caressing just under Eddie’s eye. “You’re starting to scare me.”

 _Shit. Shit. Shit._ Eddie’s breath caught in his throat. _Fuck it_.

He leaned up, pressing his mouth against Richie’s experimentally.

Yeah he _really_ liked this.

He backed away quickly, his hand sliding out from under Richie’s. “Shit. I’m sorry Richie. I just – maybe I should –”

Eddie was already climbing to his feet, the adrenaline of the moment ebbing away, and his bravery along with it. Richie was going to hate him. Richie was never going to talk to him again. Richie was –

Richie was grabbing his wrist in an almost vice-like grip to prevent him from leaving. Eddie refused to look at him, even when Richie pulled him back towards the bed so he was standing directly in front of him, Richie’s legs either side of him and his head angled to look up at him.

“Richie let me –”

“Nah.” Richie said, releasing Eddie’s wrist so he could circle his arms around him, pulling him closer.

Eddie froze as Richie’s face pressed to his chest, the taller teen humming to himself as he listened to the erratic heartbeat that would no doubt spike into some kind of a panic attack if Eddie was left unchecked.

“Richie –”

“Sh. Let me enjoy this.” Richie mumbled, nuzzling his face against the chest. He heard Eddie’s breathing hitch into his throat again, a smirk forming onto his face. “You always like this when it comes to me?”

“Shut up.” Eddie muttered. “Jerk.”

Richie uncurled an arm from Eddie’s waist, grabbing his wrist and directing his hand to his own chest. Eddie’s fingers curled into the fabric of the t-shirt, feeling the same erratic beating that mimicked his own.

“ _Oh_.”

Richie snorted. “Yeah. Oh.”

Eddie finally looked down at him, and Richie was looking up at him again, a comforting smile on his face. He wasn’t mad. He didn’t hate him. He _wanted_ that kiss just as much as Eddie had, and Eddie had _so many questions_ but Richie was just so distracting.

He released Eddie’s wrist, returning his arm to its place around his waist. With a secure grip on Eddie, Richie tugged him down as he shifted back, placing Eddie between his legs on the edge of the bed, tucking his back against his chest.

“So you just kissed me.”

Eddie sighed. “Yeah.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think about anything beyond ‘just fucking kiss this guy’.”

Richie chuckled, resting his chin on Eddie’s shoulder. “Why don’t you think about it for a while? Take as long as you need and then tell me what you want.”

“You’d really wait that long?”

“For you? Yeah. You’re worth the wait. Now. How about we sleep? We have a promise to keep to Jess tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah – right – her car.” Eddie said. “Well, you gonna let go of me so I can get changed?”

“I don’t want to, but I will.” Richie said, moving his arms away from Eddie.

Eddie climbed to his feet, grabbing the bag from Richie’s chair and cross the room. He paused at the door, looking back to Richie who was now laid on his bed again.

“Hey Rich?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for not putting any pressure on… this.”

“You need time to think about what you _really_ want, Eds. Don’t rush into something. Hell, consult with Jess if you – wait.” Richie sat up again, glasses balanced awkwardly on his face. “Does she know?”

“That I’m gay? Yeah. She’s been giving me advice since I told her. Mostly on how to… tell you guys.”

“You gonna tell them?”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah. I’m gonna tell them Sunday.”

“I’ll be right there with you.” Richie said, the comforting smile back on his face.

“I know.” Eddie said, returning the smile. “Thanks Rich… for everything.”

Richie’s smile turned into a grin. “You can always count on me Eds. Never gonna leave your side. Gonna threaten all your boyfriends.”

Eddie snorted. “And what if you were the boyfriend?”

“Then I’d have to stand in a mirror and threaten myself, obviously. Now go get changed. I want my human teddy bear so I can actually sleep decently.”

Eddie shook his head, an amused smile on his face as he left room.


	7. Chapter Seven

Before, Richie had only even seen Eddie as ‘cute’ or ‘adorable’, but now, sitting on the workbench of Jessica’s garage, watching Eddie bend into the hood of the car in one of _his_ old button up shirts, sweat on his face, while covered in oil and grime from his hard work, Richie only had one word come to his mind.

 _Hot_.

The soft sound of the radio filled what would have been the silent air around them, Jessica drumming her fingers lightly against the workbench in time with the beat, and Richie found it oddly relaxing.

“Did you get in trouble last night or did I have you home in time?” Richie asked as the song came to an end and the radio host began to talk.

Jessica grinned, sliding from the workbench. “Nope. You had me home in time, Rich. You’re my hero of the week. Drink?”

“I’m good but I think our mechanic might need one.”

Jessica rolled her eyes with a grin. Did he really think that she would just leave Eddie out? Crossing the garage, Jessica vanished through the door that led into the kitchen, leaving the two boys behind.  Richie was tapping the tip of his foot against the floor in time with the new song while Eddie worked, his attention zeroed in on the shorter boy.

Eddie stood upright, raising an arm to wipe at his brow with a sigh. Richie found his eyes trailing to the part of Eddie’s abdomen that was now exposed from the movement, and he could feel his throat becoming dry.

_Damn it. What are you doing to me, Eds?_

“Hey Rich?” Eddie asked, dropping the shirt back over his stomach.

“Y-yeah Eds?”

“About what happened last night…”

Richie swallowed, gripping at the edge of the workbench, all movement of his foot ceasing. “You don’t have to talk about that, Eddie. I told you to take your time and really think about what you want.”

Eddie huffed, crossing his arms. “That’s the problem, Rich. What if I don’t want to think about it? What if I don’t _need_ to think about it? What if it’s always been _you_ that I wanted to be with?”

Richie stared at him in complete silence, his mouth hanging open as he tried to think of something to say. He furrowed his brow as he tried to think, nails chipping the wood of the workbench as his grip tightened. He couldn’t even think of a damn joke to ease the building tension.

Eddie was equally silent, trying to work out just _why_ Richie was so damn quiet when he always had something to say. “You know what? Forget I said anything. I get it. You don’t – you were just messing with me… or maybe you were just trying to make me feel comfortable –”

“Eddie, _no_. That’s not it.” Richie said quickly, sliding from the workbench and crossing the garage towards him. “Look, I’m… really _bad_ at this okay? Just give me a moment.” Eddie was patient, his head tilted back to look up at Richie, and he could practically see the gears turning in his head. “Right… okay – look – I like you, _I do_ , but are you sure – damn Eddie, there are so many better people for you out there than me. Why –”

Eddie reached up, placing his hands against Richie’s face and smearing a patch of oil on his skin. “Richie, listen to me. Four years ago, when we were being terrorized by that clown, you – well – you ran into a room because you thought I was there... when you thought that I was hurt. Bill told me what happened when we were separated in that house. And then… you did everything to find me in there – you did everything to shield me from _that_ being the last thing I saw.”

“Eddie –”

“I’m not fucking done, Richie.” Eddie said, glaring up at him. “You tried to fix my arm when it was broken even though I told you not to. You did everything to get me out of that house. You comforted me about the leper when I told you what happened, what it said, what it tried to _do_ to me. You didn’t crack a single joke about that, which I expected you to do, and… every time I’ve needed you _since_ the clown, you’ve been there.”

“Ed –”

“I’m still not fucking done.” Eddie scolded, his hands moving down to Richie’s shoulders. “You’re braver than you think, really loyal, supportive… and yeah, sometimes you annoy the hell out of me with your jokes, and you don’t know when to shut up, and you’re loud, and – and – you do the _dumbest_ shit sometimes, and I _know_ that for anyone else those things are a deal breaker but not for _me_. Everything you do just makes me like you even more. So yeah. I’ve thought about it. I thought about it for four damn years, and I thought about it last night, and I thought about it on the way here, and I thought about it just now.”

“If you don’t kiss him after that big speech, Richie, I will.” Jessica said, leaning against the door frame with a can of soda in each hand.

Eddie glanced back at her over his shoulder. “How fucking long have you been there?”

Jessica grinned. “Long enough. Now, you gonna kiss him Richie or should I do it?”

“S-shut up Jess!” Richie snapped. “You don’t even like guys!”

“Man I would go straight for the ten seconds it takes to give Eddie a kiss for _that_.”

There was a laugh from Eddie as his fingers sank into the shoulders of Richie’s shirt. “I think he’s shy Jess.”

“Oh well, I can come back later or like… never?” Jessica asked, the grin still on her face. “Want me to turn around?”

“Nope.” Eddie said, shooting her a grin. “I got this covered.”

Eddie leaned up and pressed a kiss to Richie’s mouth, completely distracting him from the fact that they were in the middle of Jessica’s garage and that Jessica was _there_ witnessing everything they said or did. Richie’s hands came to settle on Eddie’s hips, pulling him forward so Eddie was completely touching him, not even bothered about the oil covered clothes that he was wearing.

Jessica let out a whistle, breaking them apart as Eddie let out another laugh. “Thanks for killing the moment, Jess.”

“Hey, you’re in my garage and I only left to get drinks. How long did you think I’d be gone? At least I had the curtesy to stay quiet while you were telling him all the wonderful things about him.”

Eddie twisted in Richie’s grip, pressing his back flush against Richie’s chest, Richie’s arms circling his waist with his chin resting against the top of Eddie’s head. “Did that answer the question you asked me last week?”

Jessica hummed, holding a can of soda towards Eddie as she stepped forward. “It did. You two look good together, by the way, but you’re stealing my mechanic, Rich.”

“You can have him back in a moment.” Richie said, nuzzling his nose against the top of Eddie’s head. “Let me enjoy this.”

Jessica grinned. “So, are you too officially a thing now?”

Eddie tilted his head back to look at Richie with a questioning gaze. Richie grinned down at him, pressing a light kiss to his lips before nodding to Jessica.

“Yeah. We are.”

Jessica gave Richie a playful shove. “Good, now stop doing PDA in my garage before my car is fixed. Do it after.”

Richie released Eddie and held up his hands in defence, backing away to the workbench to let Eddie finish working. Jessica returned to her seat next to Richie on the bench, tapping her fingers against the wooden surface again in time with the song on the radio as she listened to Eddie mutter things to himself.

“Is it that bad?” Jessica asked thirty minutes later, stalling in her tapping.

Eddie huffed and straightened from inside the hood the car, reaching for his drink on the ground beside him. He circled the car to the driver’s side as he took a swig, leaning in and turning the key in the ignition.

The car roared to life and Eddie let out a triumphant noise.

“Eddie, you are my new hero!” Jessica praised, jumping to her feet. “I thought for sure that I’d have to get a new one which I clearly _can’t_ afford right now.”

Eddie snorted, circling back to the front of the car. “We would have picked you up, right Rich?”

Richie nodded as Eddie held the can to Jessica so he could close the hood. “That’s right! I would never let you walk to school in this cold ass weather!”

“Ah, what would I do without you guys?” Jessica asked.

“You’d have a broken car and no Lucille-time.” Richie said, shoving her gently.

“That was rhetorical, you ass.”

-

Eddie fidgeted in his seat in the café booth Sunday afternoon, boxed in between Richie and the wall to stop him from running away. He’d considered, a few times, ducking under the table and just crawling out for freedom, but Stan, ever the punctual one, had met them on time and was now sitting directly across the table from him.

“Why are you so jumpy?” Stan asked, his gaze settling on Eddie.

“N-no reason.” Eddie said, quickly looking around Richie who snuck his hand across the bench to hold Eddie’s, thumb stroking against his fingers.

Ben was next to show up, sliding into the booth next to Richie, phone in hand, no doubt texting Beverly as he did most weekends when they met up. Bill and Mike were next, sliding in across from them with Mike sitting between Stan and Bill.

“So why did you call us all here?” Stan asked, folding his arms against the table. “It sounded pretty important.”

“Not yet.” Eddie hissed, craning his head to look over the booth.

They were late. Why were they late? Were they coming? Jessica said they would be. She promised they’d show up.

“Where are they?” Eddie asked, and Richie chuckled.

“Calm down, Eds. She won’t back out of this.”

Eddie continued to look over at the door, visible relief showing on his face when Lucille walked in with Jessica in tow. The moment they were inside, Lucille linked her hand with Jessica’s raising it to her mouth to kiss it.

“I just don’t get it.” Lucille said as they approached the table. “Why can’t he just back the fuck off?”

“Lucille, it’s fine, okay?” Jessica assured her.

“No it’s not.” Lucille snapped, keeping her hand linked with Jessica’s even as they sat down across from each other. “He pulls that shit again I’m gonna do something about it.”

“Should we ask?” Richie asked, shooting the two girls a concerned look.

“Nope, it’s fine.” Jessica said, turning a smile on him. “We’re here for Eddie, not me.”

Eddie furrowed his brow. “Jess –”

“Nope. This is about you.” Jessica said, her tone final.

She’d never spoken to him like that before, but Eddie let it slide. She was frustrated about something, and he had plenty of time to ask her after. She was right. This moment right here was about him.

“Okay, so there’s something I need to tell you guys.” Eddie said, looking around the booth. “Beverly already knows because I called her last night, so she’s not being left out of this.”

“Wait a second.” Lucille said, leaning forward to look around Ben and Richie at Eddie. “Are you sure you want to do this right now? Did you really think this over? The moment you tell them, things could be different.”

Eddie sucked in a breath. “Yeah. I’m sure about this Lucille. They’re my friends and I want them to know who I am the way that you and Jess do.”

Lucille nodded. “I just wanted to make sure you’re doing this because you _want_ to and not because you feel like you _have_ to.”

“No – yeah – I want to.”

“It this about you being gay?” Stan asked. “Because we already know.”

“Wait _what_? You knew?”

“Yuh-you’re one of our closest fruh-friends.” Bill said, offering Eddie a comforting smile. “We – we noticed.”

“You’re still Eddie.” Mike said. “Come on, we’re friends with Jess and Lucille. Did you think it’d be different for you?”

Eddie looked down at the table, and Richie squeezed at his hand reassuringly. “Well, I wasn’t sure. Why didn’t you say anything if you all knew?”

“We kind of did in our own way.” Stan said. “We tried to let you know we knew but… who knew and when was up to you. We figured if you ever wanted people to know, you’d tell them yourself so we waited for you to be ready.”

“Excuse me, was I the only one who didn’t know?” Richie asked, huffing in annoyance.

“I didn’t if it helps.” Ben said. “Listen, Eddie, you’re still you no matter who you decide to date, okay?”

“That’s the thing.” Richie said, nudging Eddie’s knee with his own in a silent question of _do you want them to know?_

Eddie had been avoiding telling them that he was already dating someone, but Richie wanted them to know about their relationship.

_Richie wanted people to know already._

_Richie wasn’t afraid to tell them they were together._

And damn, he wanted the others to know too. He didn’t want to have to keep his relationship from his friends.

Eddie smiled and tapped Richie’s hand once with a single finger for yes.

Richie gave his hand another squeeze. “I’m the ‘who’ that he’s dating.”

“Why would anyone date _Richie_?” Stan asked, an amused smirk on his face. “Does this mean you’re going to stop climbing into my room now to talk about how much you like Eddie?”

“Sorry Staniel.” Richie said, lacing his fingers with Eddie’s better. “I have a new window to crawl in and out of now.”

“Oh no, the despair.”

“I know, it’s terrible, but we had a good run Staniel.”

“Well, Eddie,” Jessica said, bringing the attention back to the reason that everyone was cramped into the booth, “it looks like you didn’t need us to come here for support after all.”

“That’s not why I wanted you here!” Eddie said, levelling her with a glare. “You and Lucille are my friends too, idiot, and you should hang out with us more.”

Jessica arched a single brow. “That’s the first time you actually called me a friend… even if you did call me an idiot.”

Eddie frowned, raising the hand that was linked with Richie’s from the seat so he could point at her. “I will call you an idiot every day if it drums it into your fucking head that you’re my friend too. When I felt like… I couldn’t tell anyone about who I was… you were both there for me. You supported me, you understood me, and you helped me find a way to do _this_.”

“Luh-looks like you two are one of us now.” Bill said, slinging an arm around Jessica in an awkward side-hug. “Yuh-you took care of Eddie for us when he needed it.”

“Yeah,” Richie grinned at Jessica who was trying to worm her way out of the hug. “Welcome to Loser’s Club, girls.”


	8. Chapter Eight

 

“That’s it, I’ve had enough of this shit!” Jessica complained, breaking the silence of the library as she threw her pen down on her notebook.

Startled, Stan looked up from his literature work to the clearly frustrated girl who was sitting across from him between Mike and Eddie. “It’s been _five_ minutes since we started. You’ve done one sentence!”

“And then you drew a frowny face on your work.” Eddie said, looking over at her work with a shake of his head.

“It’s a poem about someone planning to commit murder!” Jessica snapped, waving her hand at the text book she was sharing with Mike. “How the fuck am I supposed to make two pages out of that shit?”

Stan sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. “You’re supposed to analyse each line, Jess.”

Mike chuckled, pulling the text book closer to them. “See this? Here it says: _Today I am going to kill something. Anything._ ”

“It’s a dramatic hook to draw the reader into the poem.” Stan said, twiddling his pen between his fingers. “We’re not told anything about the speaker so it’s difficult to judge if they’re making a statement just to shock or if it’s serious – take notes Jess we’re not gonna repeat this – and the unsophisticated, childish and monosyllabic language indicates that it doesn’t need to be taken serious.”

“The ‘anything’ part shows us that the person in the poem isn’t bothered about what he or she is going to kill, and just wants to do it for pleasure.” Eddie said, waiting for Jessica to make a note on what he was saying. “ _I’ve had enough of being ignored and today I am going to play god._ This line shows a god complex which makes us see that the person is discontented, isolated, neglected, even a failure in society.”

“ _It is an ordinary day, a sort of grey with a boredom stirring in the streets._ ” Mike picked up, pointing to the line in the book. “This is using the elements to reflect the mood or actions of the person. The person feels bored, so the environment reflects that in its greyness. It’s an ominous phrase and makes us wonder if the person really _does_ have a complex of some kind.”

“And now you have the first verse analysed and should be able to do the rest.” Stan said, writing something down in his notebook before shooting her a smirk. “Or do we have to do the whole thing for you?”

Jessica stuck her tongue out at him. “I think I got it from here, thanks though guys. I really hate poems.”

Mike paused in writing something, glancing up from his work. “I feel like I’m reading a poem about Bowers.”

Stan snorted, but didn’t look up from his work as he scribbled something down, already four verses ahead of them with his work. “I was thinking that myself.”

Jessica placed her pen down onto her notebook again, leaning back to stretch. “Alright, I need a bathroom break, I’ll be back and I’m gonna kick this poem’s ass.”

“That’s the spirit Jess!” Eddie praised as Jessica stood. “We’ll make sure you don’t fail the class, don’t worry!”

“This is one of those times I actually envy Richie.” Stan groaned, folding his arms onto the table and dropping his head onto them once Jessica was out of the room. “You don’t see _him_ in here after school trying to catch up on work.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Eddie complained, throwing his pen down and leaning back in his chair, opting to take a break while Jessica was gone. “How he gets good grades and manages to actually stay ahead, I _don’t_ know.”

“I should have taken him up on his offer to do the work for me.” Stan mumbled into his arms. “I just didn’t want to know what the ‘payment’ was.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t too bad.” Eddie said, unconvinced by his own words.

“Where _is_ Richie anyway? Did he just bail on us the second the bell went?” Mike asked.

“Nah.” Eddie placed his elbow onto the table, resting his chin in his hand. “January marks the start of track season. He’s getting some training in with Ben.”

Stan snorted. “Yeah, stamina training for when you two decide to fu –”

“Shut the fuck up Stanley!”

Mike let out a breathy chuckle, still carefully writing down his essay on the poem they were supposed to be studying. It didn’t take long for Eddie and Stan to follow his lead, the latter scribbling away vigorously to try and get the work finished sooner so he could go home.

“This where we part ways, Haystack!” Richie said cheerfully as they reached the juncture where the hallway split into three. “I’m gonna go see if Eddie and the others are done or need help finishing their work.”

“Alright.” Ben said, hand poised on the bar of the door. “Hey Rich?”

Richie, who started to veer off to the left, turned to face Ben. “Yeah?”

“I’m really happy for you guys. I just want you to know that.”

“Aw, look at you getting all sappy on me!” Richie called, walking backwards down the hallway. “Save it for your girlfriend, Ben!”

“Shut up, Trashmouth!”

Richie grinned, playfully extending his middle fingers towards Ben before he turned, heading for the stairwell to the second floor. As he reached the landing, the sound of voices reached him and Richie came to a halt, furrowing his brow as he listened, one hand poised on the railing.

“Come on, it’s just one date!”

That was definitely one of Troy’s friends; Brad, was it? The last thing he needed was to run into a rejected Brad who would take his mood out on the first person he saw roaming the school. Slowly releasing the railing, Richie took a step back, debating on the using the other stairwell to get to the library.

“I told you, _no_ , just stop bothering me.”

At the sound of Jessica’s voice, Richie found himself pushing forward, starting to creep up the steps as quietly as possible. He didn’t hear whatever Brad said next, but the next words from Jessica’s mouth had him running up the steps and turning the corner sharply.

“Let go of me.”

Jessica was standing outside the bathrooms having a glaring match with Brad who had one hand curled tightly around her wrist, but Richie could by her stance that he was making her _extremely_ uncomfortable despite the defiance.

“It’s just one fucking date, Jess.”

Richie took a step forward, purposely bumping a nearby locker as he dropped his backpack to the ground, alerting them of his presence. Brad released Jessica’s wrist instantly as he looked for the source of the noise; fearing that it might be a teacher.

“I believe she told you to _let fucking go._ ”

“The fuck are you doing here Tozier? This isn’t your business.” Brad snapped.

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. You’re making my friend uncomfortable, and I’m thinking _that’s gotta stop._ ”

Eddie glanced at his watch, taking in the time of four-thirty before glancing to Jessica’s still empty seat next to him. She’d been gone for a whole thirty minutes, and he doubted that Jessica had just bailed on them since her backpack and jacket were still hanging neatly on the back of her chair waiting for her to return.

“I noticed too.” Stan said, closing his notebook and gathering his things. “I doubt she got lost.”

“She could have bailed.” Mike said, packing his own things away.

“She left all her things here.” Eddie pointed out.

“We’ll get her on the way out.” Stan said, pulling his jacket on and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

Gathering Jessica’s things, Stan shoved them into her backpack and grabbed her jacket, the three of them leaving the library.

“Do you think she just decided to hide out in the bathroom until it was time to leave?” Mike asked as they made their way down the hallway. “She didn’t really seem to want to do the work today.”

“Jessica doesn’t bail on people for anything.” Eddie defended.

“Eddie’s right, and she’s been here too long now to get lost.”

Brad fisted his hands into Richie’s shirt and pulled him up from the ground, hoisting him up and slamming him back first into a set of lockers. Richie, who was now sporting a bloodied nose from a well-aimed kick to the face, visibly winced, but didn’t give up as he raised a leg to kick at Brad’s hip in an attempt to get him off, though it did little to make him budge.

“Brad, come on, let him go!” Jessica said, grabbing one of his arms to try and pry it away from Richie.

“I told you to get the fuck out of here, Tozier.” Brad said, ignoring Jessica as he pulled Richie forward, only to slam him back into the locker with a loud clang. “I told you this was none of your damn business.”

“And _I_ told _you_ that you were wrong and you’re making my friend uncomfortable.” Richie snapped, shoving his foot against Brad’s stomach this time.

Brad took a step back from the lockers, yanking Richie with him as he tossed him to the ground where he delivered a kick to his stomach that had Richie sliding back into the lockers the other side of the hallway.

“ _Oh fuck no._ ”

Jessica jumped at the sudden new and _angry_ voice, turning in time to see Eddie throwing his backpack roughly into a set of lockers as he sprinted down the hallway, Stan and Mike lingering back.

Brad was so busy with Richie that he had hadn’t heard or seen Eddie coming until he’d _leapt_ onto his back, grabbing a fist full of his hair as his legs wrapped around Brad’s waist. Eddie jerked his body to side with a yank on Brad’s hair, forcing Brad to stumble until he was close enough that Eddie could slam his head into a locker.

Sliding from Brad’s back, Eddie delivered a swift kick to the back of his knee, buckling the taller boy’s legs from under him. As Brad went down, Eddie’s knee suddenly went up, colliding with Brad’s chin before he nudged his knee against his nose roughly, sending him sprawling onto his back.

“Who. The. Fuck. Do. You. Think. You. Are?” Eddie punctuated each word with a strong and swift kick to Brad’s side. “I. Asked. You. A. Fucking. Question.”

“Holy fucking _shit_.” Stan breathed, dropping Jessica’s things onto the ground beside him. “He might _actually_ kill him.”

“Eddie –” Richie hissed, wrapping an arm around his stomach as Jessica helped him stumble to his feet. “Eds.” Using his free arm, he propped himself up on Jessica. “Oi! Eddie Spaghetti!”

Eddie wheeled around so fast that Richie could have sworn that right in that moment, he was possessed. “ _Don’t you fucking call me that right now!_ ”

Richie unwrapped the arm from his stomach, holding up a single hand in defence. “Come on now, Eds. I’m okay, see?”

“Look at the fucking _state_ of you!” Eddie snapped, turning to deliver another kick to Brad’s side. “Get the fuck out of here before I finish what I started, and don’t you ever touch him again!”

Brad didn’t need to be told twice. Though no one else had made a move, Brad was aware that he was heavily outnumbered now and scrambled to his feet, taking off around the nearest corner and leaving the small group behind.

“Holy shit, that was hot.” Richie said, leaning against Jessica who stumbled from the sudden weight on her shoulder. “Look at you, defending my honour. Ah do think I’m falling in love with you all over again!”

“Shut the fuck up.” Eddie huffed, crossing the hallway and looking up at him. “No one gets to beat you up but me. Why the fuck were you picking a fight with _Brad_?”

“Ah, well, ya’see Eds –”

“He’s an idiot, that’s why.” Jessica said, shaking her head. “Thanks though.”

“Hey, anytime.” Richie grinned, bumping his fist gently against the side of her head with a hiss. “Okay, me and moving too much is not a good idea right now, but holy shit Eds, what the fuck was _that_?”

“ _That_ was what happens when someone hurts _my_ boyfriend.” Eddie growled.

“That’s kind of sweet and terrifying at the same time.” Jessica said, carefully removing Richie’s arm from her shoulder and dropping it onto Eddie’s. “Sorry Eddie, I think your boyfriend broke a little in my care.”

Eddie huffed again, though he seemed calmer now that Brad was nowhere nearby. “What actually happened?”

“He was touching her, and she didn’t like it.” Richie said, pushing himself upright from Eddie. “So I did something about it.”

Richie wobbled for a moment before looking around the hallway for something, and it was only now that Eddie noticed he wasn’t wearing his glasses. As he started to help Richie look for them, Mike approached the group, a pair of glasses in hand which he unfolded and then slid onto Richie’s face.

“They were by the lockers.” Mike said.

“Ah, thanks, Hanlon, my saviour!” Richie said, shooting him a grin. “I was wondering what state they were in.”

“How are those things _not_ fucking broken after that fight?” Eddie demanded, leaning up to look at them closer.

There were a few scratches on the frame and the edges of the lenses, and the smallest of cracks on one of the arms, but they otherwise looked fine. Jessica crossed the hallway and grabbed Richie’s bag before making her way back over to where Richie stood.

“I can’t believe you just tried to fight the biggest guy in school, Rich.” Jessica said, holding the backpack out to him.

Richie reached out for the backpack, only for Eddie to smack his hand away with a stern look. “Jess, I wasn’t going to just turn around and walk off. Is that what has Lucille so annoyed lately?”

Jessica heaved a sigh as Eddie took Richie’s bag from her. “Yeah. He’s been like that for a couple of weeks now.”

Stan picked up the things he’d discarded on the ground, holding the jacket out to Jessica. “I think after Eddie’s little chaotic feral moment just now, he’s not gonna be bothering you again for a long time.”

Jessica couldn’t hold back her laugh, taking the jacket and pulling it on before taking her bag. “Yeah, I think Eddie beat the message into him more than Richie did.”

“Hey!” Richie protested, wincing and wrapping his arm back around himself. “I’ll have you know I got a few kicks and punches in before he fucking tripped me and slammed into a locker.”

Jessica nodded. “Yeah, you did. Let me give you and Eddie a ride home. You can’t drive like that. I’ll pick you up in the morning too.”

Richie tsked at her, wagging a finger. “I’m supposed to be the saviour here, not you.”

Eddie scoffed, retrieving his bag from where he’d thrown it. “You were getting your ass beat until I stepped in, Tozier. Don’t forget that.”

“Yeah, if anyone is the saviour here, it’s Eddie.” Mike said, clapping Eddie on the shoulder. “Like damn kid where did you learn _that_?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “I’m small, I had to learn.”

Richie let out a chuckle, wincing again. “Ow – hold on before we leave. I need to get this blood off my face or mom’s gonna freak out.”

Eddie nodded, waiting outside the bathroom with Jessica while Stan and Mike took their leave, ordering Eddie to let them know how Richie was later.

“Are you okay?” Eddie asked, breaking the silence that stretched over the hallway.

“Shouldn’t you be asking Richie that?” Jessica asked, arching a brow at him.

Eddie snorted. “Richie’s durable. He once bounced back from a rock to the face. He’s gonna be fine. You’re the one I’m worried about.”

Jessica grinned. “I’m fine, really. I was more worried about what he was going to do to Richie.”

“He’ll be back to his old self tomorrow.” Eddie assured her. “Brad’s lucky I don’t snap his fucking neck.”

Jessica giggled, attempting to stifle it with her hand. “You sound just like Lucille.”

“Yeah, well sometimes you sound just like Richie.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Eddie thought it over for a moment, a smile coming to his face. “Nope – not at all. It just means you’re loyal as fuck and you’re gonna take a beating for a friend.”


	9. Chapter Nine

 

Richie didn’t show up for the rest of their last week of school.

Eddie had told them that Maggie had wanted to keep him off school while he recovered from Brad’s assault, and Eddie diligently took Richie’s homework to school where it would distributed between his friends to hand in and they would collect the new work which Jessica and Eddie would take to Richie.

Just because he was off school didn’t mean that his impeccably good grades had to suffer.

Eddie wouldn’t give Brad that satisfaction, and neither would Richie.

“He took on _Brad_?” Charlie asked, furrowing his brow as he packed up his books in literature, his attention settling onto Mike. “ _Richie_ took on _Brad_? The guy who is on the damn _wrestling_ team and built like a bear?”

“Hey, I’m as surprised about it as you are.” Mike said, closing his books and shoving them into his backpack. “From what I know, it wasn’t just a random _I want to get into a fight thing_ either. Brad was making Jess uncomfortable.”

Charlie tucked his books under his arm, grabbing the bag from the back of his chair and slinging it over his shoulder. “Man, that Tozier kid has some pretty big balls to be doing something like _that_. How’s he doing?”

“Oh, he’s fine now. His mom just wants him to recover comfortably at home so he doesn’t hurt himself further.” Mike said.

“Man, when I asked you why Richie wasn’t in school, I was _not_ expecting that to be the answer.” Charlie shook his head, an amused smile on his face. “I’m both surprised and impressed with that boy.”

“What’s impressive is that Eddie was the one who actually broke Brad’s nose.”

Charlie looked over Mike’s shoulder to where Stan and Jessica were talking to Eddie in the doorway while they waited for Mike.

“That little guy over there?” Charlie asked, furrowing his brow.

“Yep.”

“Shit man.” Charlie chuckled, adjusting his backpack. “It’s always the small quiet ones who kick some major ass, huh?”

“Chaotic bundle of rage, our Eddie.” Mike said, clapping Charlie on the shoulder. “I’ll see you in Math.”

“See you there, Hanlon!”

As Mike headed to the cafeteria with the others, Jessica and Eddie in deep conversation about something, the passed Brad who sporting a piece of silver plastic taped into place over his nose, dark bruises under his eyes.

He’d told people it was from a bad wrestling practice; a misjudged move he was trying out with someone, and Troy had backed him up.

But Mike knew the truth. The ‘Loser’s club’ knew the truth. And Mike was pretty sure that _Troy_ knew the truth too to be covering up for him.

Jessica laughed at something Eddie had said, bringing Mike back into the conversation around him. “Honestly, that boy.”

“I know right?” Eddie asked, huffing as he gripped at his bag strap. “I don’t know what on Earth gave him the impression I would even _entertain_ the idea of dressing up as a nurse for him, much less actually do it.”

“So _then_ what did you do?”

“I offered to blacken his other eye if he didn’t shut the fuck up, and after what I did to Brad, he wasn’t willing to risk it so he dropped the subject.”

“Brave man to be dating you, Eddie, very brave indeed.”

Stan snorted. “Richie often has a tendency to do things that will get him either into trouble or just plain hurt. He a gluten for these things and that’s my theory on why he’s dating a chaotic secret powerhouse.”

Eddie snorted this time, but didn’t deny Stan’s claim as they joined the line of students in the cafeteria.

“You’re coming tomorrow night, right Jess?” Mike asked. “To Richie’s party, I mean.”

Jessica grabbed a tray as they passed the cart. “Yeah. I don’t know about the staying over part, but I’m definitely gonna show up for the party.”

“Good, because if I don’t have you there and Richie makes a dumb comment about me in a nurse outfit again I might actually murder him unless you’re holding me back.” Eddie grumbled, grabbing one of the trays.

“I’ll be sure to _try_ and hold you back if you try to murder him but I think you might be just a little too strong for me and I like my nose in one piece.”

Eddie shoved her playfully, Jessica stumbling into Stan who steadied her. The four of them moved with the line, grabbing their lunch before making their way over to the table where Bill was sitting across from Ben, the two boys in deep excited conversation.

“What has you all excited?” Stan asked, placing his tray down as he took a seat next to Bill who moved over for him.

“Beverly’s gonna be here tomorrow.” Ben said, sliding across the bench so Mike and Jessica could sit down with them. “Her school ended for Christmas Vacation yesterday so she’s already on her way here.”

“Oh that’s right!” Eddie said, his face lighting up as he sat beside Stan. “I can’t wait to see her again! Two visits a year is _not_ enough.”

“She’s probably going to tease you relentlessly about dating Richie.” Mike pointed out.

“She’s _allowed_. She only gets to see us _twice_ a year, Mike!”

“Honestly, I think she’ll be too busy teasing Richie about getting his ass beat.” Stan said, pushing some of the food around his tray with his fork idly. “I might have told her when she called me last night.”

“Stanley!” Eddie scolded, smacking his arm.

“Hey, I had to warn her that Richie was going to look a little shitty!”

“Yeah, we can’t have people thinking _you_ did that to him.” Mike said.

“Though she’d probably be like: oh was this sexually or…”

“Beep, beep assholes!” Eddie snapped while Jessica giggled. “I can’t wait for you and Lucille to meet her! She’s gonna _love_ you two!”

Swallowing her food, Jessica placed her fork down. “Is there anything I should know before I meet Momma Bear Beverly?”

Eddie grinned. “Other than she’s dating Ben here and she’s amazing? Nope!”

“Also Ben’s our mom, not Beverly.” Stan said, staring out of the cafeteria window rather than touching whatever the school passed off as food.

“I’d argue with that but Ben literally mothers us all the time.” Mike said, shaking his head in amusement. “Mike, did you remember to drink water during practice? Bill did you remember to do your homework? Stan, if you’re going to spend a whole day watching birds, make sure you have food and water with you. Richie, shut your mouth before I wash it out with soap. Eddie, did you take your pills today? Guys, its cold out there make sure you have a jacket. Richie, it’s _winter._ Put on a damn scarf before I put it on _for_ you. _Richie, for Christ’s sake wear some gloves or you’re going to get frostbite._ ”

Ben huffed, crossing his arms. “Someone has to make sure you all take care of yourself. God knows _you_ guys don’t.”

“Should I be concerned Richie needs the most mothering out of all of you?” Jessica mumbled around her fork.

“I was thinking the same thing.” Eddie said, arching a brow. “Does he just unwrap himself after his mom _makes_ him wrap up?”

Ben rolled his eyes. “He’s trying to defy the elements or something. I… I really don’t try to understand half the things he says.”

Eddie sighed. “Fucking idiot.”

“Hey, he’s _your_ idiot now. I raised him the best I could.”

Jessica snickered. “Ben Hanscom: Almost Proud Mother of Richie Tozier.”

Stan snorted. “Key word: almost.”

Jessica dropped Eddie off at Richie’s after school as she had done every day that week, insisting that it was the least she could do for Richie.

“Thanks again for the ride, Jess.” Eddie said, grabbing his backpack as he climbed out of the car.

“Anyyyytime, Eddie.” Jessica said. “Hey, don’t forget Richie’s.”

“Oh, right.” Eddie said, leaning back into the car to grab Richie’s backpack.

“One track mind you. The Richie channel.”

“Oh yeah, like yours isn’t constantly _the Lucille Channel._ ”

“Man, I _wish_ I could deny that but that girl is the only thing that runs through my head.”

“Cute Jess, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Yeah. I’ll pick Mike and Lucille up and then I’ll be here.” Jessica assured. “Make sure Richie is okay for me, yeah?”

Eddie nodded, closing the car door and jogging off up Richie’s driveway. Jessica waited until he was inside before she drove off, just in case. Eddie removed his shoes at the door, assuring Maggie that he didn’t need anything when she asked before he took the stairs two at a time, Richie’s backpack thumping against his back.

Richie was laid out on his bed when Eddie walked into the room, hands tucked behind his head and his eyes closed, foot tapping in tune with the song playing on his radio. Eddie smiled fondly, simply watching Richie for a moment.

His face still showed the signs of Brad’s assault, a deep bruising having formed around his eye; almost black in colour. Richie stretched out, and his t-shirt shifted, allowing Eddie to see one of the dark bruises on his stomach just above the waistband of his pants.

He could feel his anger towards Brad spiking again, but he pushed it aside for now in favour of just spending time with Richie.

Richie; who was still oblivious to Eddie being in the room.

Eddie crossed the room, carefully placing Richie’s bag next to the bed before climbing next to him. Richie opened a single eye, a smile coming to his face as he removed a hand from behind his head to wrap his arm around Eddie as he settled next to him on the bed.

Eddie pressed his head against Richie’s shoulder, nuzzling his nose against his jaw. “How are you feeling today?” He paused his nuzzling to press a light kiss just under Richie’s ear, enjoying the soft hum of appreciation that came from Richie.

“A lot better, though that’s probably because I haven’t been moving much.” Richie said, shifting to bring his other arm around Eddie, wincing when his body protested to the sudden movement. “Mom keeps doing everything short of actually taking me to the bathroom or bathing me so I’ve been taking it pretty damn easy.”

Eddie snorted, raising one of his arms to rest lightly against Richie’s other shoulder so he could sink his fingers into his hair, twisting the strands around his fingers. “She’s just worried about you, Rich. You took a pretty bad beating.”

“I had to defend the lady’s honour, Eds.” Richie said, eyes closing again as Eddie started to stroke his fingers through his hair.

“I never asked... how much trouble did you get into for fighting?”

“None at all.” Richie said, a grin coming to his face. “Mom said what I did was very admirable and told dad he was not allowed to ground me for getting into a fight or she’d ground _him_ and I’m not sure I want to know how that works.”

Eddie chuckled. “It _was_ admirable even if you _did_ get your ass kicked. Brad’s still roaming around with that nice little broken nose.”

Richie chuckled with another wince. “That’s my boy.”

They fell silent, Eddie stroking his fingers through Richie’s hair softly.

“Edssss.” Richie whined after a few minutes of the relaxing torture. “If you keep doing that I’m gonna fall to sleep.”

Eddie laughed softly, stopping his actions. “You don’t want to sleep? How unlike you.”

“I slept enough today. There are better things to do than sleeping.”

“Like?”

Richie rolled onto his side so they were facing each other, his arms still securely around Eddie. “Kissing you is definitely better than sleeping.”

“Then why aren’t you doing it, moron?”

Richie snorted, nudging his nose gently against Eddie’s. “Because, and this is going to be a real mood killer, but there’s an invasion in the doorway.”

“What?”

Eddie shifted to look at the direction of the door, his eyes immediately widening.

Beverly Mash was standing in the doorway, her body propped up against the door frame with a grin clear on her face.

“Hey boys, did you miss me?”


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter? You betcha!

 

 

“Bev!” Eddie scrambled out of Richie’s grasp, jumping from the bed and sprinting to where Beverly stood before throwing his arms around her.

Beverly giggled, wrapping her arms around Eddie, though her gaze was still pinned on Richie over his head. “I thought for a moment that Stan was joking about you getting your ass handed to you when I spoke to him.”

Richie snorted, pressing his hands to the bed to slowly push himself up, wincing as he did so since his body was protesting to almost any and all movements.

“Sorry Bev, it’s no joke. I was defending a dear friend of Eddie’s and it did not go well for me.”

Beverly grinned, affectionately running a hand through Eddie’s hair. “So I heard. I believe the words _rage filled little gremlin_ were used in regards to Eddie kicking some major ass for what happened to you.”

“I’m gonna kill Stan.” Eddie grumbled into Beverly’s shoulder.

Richie chuckled, shifting back to sit against his headboard. “Not that we don’t love you, Miss Marsh, and we _have_ missed you dearly since the last time you came to visit us back in the summer, but what do we owe this pleasure to exactly? I thought for sure that you’d wanna see Haystack before anyone else.”

“I was going to.” Beverly finally released Eddie so she could approach the bed, enforcing a gentle hug on Richie. “But I had to come check on you first. I was worried. I didn’t know how bad you were gonna be.”

“Ah, you didn’t need ta’ worry ‘bout me, Bev!” Richie said, carefully returning the hug with a grin. “I got good old Eds to take care of me.”

Beverly shifted, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. “I see that. I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.” She said, an apologetic look on her face as Eddie reclaimed his place next to Richie, resting his head against his shoulder. “Like I said, I was just worried.”

“The more the merrier, Miss Marsh. I _do_ love to see a friendly face other than Eds once in a while.” Richie said, curling an arm carefully around Eddie.

“You two look _adorable_ together.” Beverly said, trying her best to hide her giggle, though the look on her face showed that she couldn’t be happier for the two of them. “Do your parents know about this? Do the others know?”

“The others do.” Richie shifted his arm, toying with the ends of Eddie’s hair with a fond smile on his face, using his shoulder to straighten his glasses. “However I haven’t quite figured out how to tell my parents.”

“I have absolutely no intentions of telling my mother about this.” Eddie said firmly. “You know how she’s gonna react. She’ll say it’s Richie’s fault I’m a _monster_ and she’ll lock me up forever. I’m gonna wait until I’m out of this town and _then_ do it.”

Beverly sighed, placing her hands into her lap. “Yeah, I know. It’s a shame you two have to hide it like this.”

“It’s just for a little while, Beverly my dear!” Richie said, twisting his fingers into Eddie’s hair. “I’m planning on telling my parents as soon as I can figure out how, and then I just have to make it through the rest of the school year only being able to shower Eddie in affection while here or out with friends and then it’s off to college.”

“Are you going to the same one?”

“Coincidentally, yes. We’d already planned it a while back. Familiar company in a strange place and all that. Now it just works out better for us.”

Beverly grinned, leaning forward with excitement clear in her eyes. “That’s so _cute_. Ben and I are trying to do the same thing, or at least attend colleges close to each other so we can spend weekends together.”

“Now who’s cute?” Eddie mumbled, nuzzling his nose against Richie’s neck. “Oh yeah, you and Ben are.”

Beverly stretched her leg out to kick Eddie playfully. “Shut uppp.”

Bill slammed a foot into the ground, the sound of wheels scraping against concrete echoing across the empty street.

In his younger days, you’d never see Bill without his trusty bike, Silver, and now, you’d never see him without his skateboard which was worn from constant use, a good three years old; the underside covered in graffiti from where his friends had signed it.

Graffiti which consisted of a rather crude drawing of a dick from Richie which Stan had tried to fix up into a bunny.

He’d failed miserably but it was the thought that counted.

Placing his foot onto the board, Bill distributed his weight carefully, allowing himself to simply glide down the slight slope of Neibolt Street, one hand holding the strap of his bag firmly. He hated it when he left Stan’s house too late at night.

It meant he had to go down the one street he hated as a shortcut to get home.

The one street he never wanted to go down again if he could help it.

The abandoned Neibolt house came into view, and Bill couldn’t take his eyes off it as he passed, squinting as though expecting to see the clown in one of the windows.

Or Georgie.

The clown had never been above using his brother as a means to get to him.  

Bill found himself placing a foot down onto the pavement, forcing himself to come to a sudden stop. On the rare occasions he took Neibolt Street as a shortcut home, he found that just _looking_ at the old abandoned house brought back the memories of that summer, and today was no different to any other time.

_“Then why’s it say it there? That’s **my** shirt, that’s my hair, that’s my face!”_

_“You wanna play loogie?”_

_“Where the **fuck** were her legs?”_

_“This isn’t real enough for you, Billy? **I’m** not real enough for you?”_

_“Get Eddie!”_

_“Eddie, look at me! I’m gonna snap the arm back in place!”_

_“Don’t fucking touch me!”_

_“Take me home, Billy. I wanna go home. I miss you, I wanna be with mom and dad.”_

_“Stan, look out!”_

_“It’s not loaded!”_

_“I’m gonna kill you!”_

Bill was aware of the constricting feeling that had made its way into his chest, and if asked to describe it, he would have said it felt like a snake had curled around his torso; squeezing relentlessly and making it hard to breathe.

He raised a hand to his chest which was heaving from the attempts to regulate his breathing, fingers sinking into the front of his shirt as though it would ease the pressure and make it easy to breathe again.

He needed to get away from this house. His body just didn’t seem to be getting the message.

Bill closed his eyes, refusing to look directly at the house as he took in deep breathes, trying to focus on something that didn’t involve the clown or the house in front of him.

1… 2… 3… 4…

He recounted the days between the incidents with the clown.

The days at the quarry were the ones he remembered the most. Telling his stories to his friends. Eddie had praised one of them, calling it his favourite while also demanding he write it down.

Richie said he’d leave this town one day and become famous.

Bill had written the story down that same day and the notebook was tucked into one of his drawers, waiting be used as a means to get into the college he wanted to attend.

1… 2… 3… 4…

The movies were another thing he remembered. It was just before they’d met Mike, and the six of them had been sitting on the balcony of the theatre.

Eddie had knocked his popcorn off the railing, and a quick look over the balcony showed that the receiver of the popcorn spillage had been Henry Bowers.

Richie took it one step further and threw his drink down, not willing to let Eddie suffer alone if Henry had caught them.

They’d run.

Run right to the safety the quarry gave them.

And once again they’d jumped. The six of them together, hand in hand.

1… 2… 3… 4…

Bill opened his eyes, staring up at the abandoned house in front of him, raising one foot to kick at the end of the skateboard while reaching a hand out to grab it.

“Yuh-you better be duh-dead asshole. Cuh-cause if you’re not – wuh – we’ll kill you. All of us again. _I’ll_ kuh-kill you if keeps him suh-safe.”

Stan never had told them what had _really_ happened to him when he’d been alone with It, and no one had pushed him on it.

Bill didn’t need to know what happened.

All he needed to know was that he would keep Stan safe if by some weird twist of fate the clown wasn’t dead, though he was pretty sure that it was.

Tucking the skateboard under his arm carefully, Bill turned his back on the Neibolt House and crossed the street before breaking into a steady jog, not trusting himself to direct his transport right now.


	11. Chapter Eleven

 

The Tozier’s basement was full of the sound of soft music and the laughter of nine teenagers.

They were currently sitting in a circle on the floor (which consisted of Eddie sitting between Richie’s legs while Richie was leaning against the sofa positioned just under the window), telling Jessica and Lucille the stories of how they met.

Of course, it went without saying that they didn’t mention anything to do with the clown or the missing kids.

“So you just helped them to _steal_ a bunch of stuff?” Lucille asked, stifling her giggle. “If that’s not the start of a great friendship, then I don’t know what is.”

“Hey, they told me there was a kid who was pretty much bleeding to death. What would you have done?”

“Exactly the same thing.” Jessica said, sharing a high-five with Beverly. “I’m also assuming that Eddie was the one who did the _actual_ patching up.”

Richie chuckled, reaching around Eddie for one of the cups of eggnog. “How’d you know?”

“She’s been in my house Rich.” Eddie pointed out. “She’s aware of the vast amount of medical supplies we have.”

Beverly snorted, taking a sip of her drink. “So come on. How did you girls meet my boys? They never told me that part. Just that you were two awesome girls madly in love.”

“I met Stan first.” Jessica admitted, leaning to the side to rest her head against Lucille’s shoulder. “I was lost on the first day, and he showed me to my class even though it was out of his way, and then I was paired with Eddie for a project. Bill and Richie happen to be in my homeroom and I met Ben and Mike after one of Mike’s basketball practices while I was waiting for Lucille to finish her cheer practice.”

“Staniel being helpful?” Richie asked, arching a brow. “I don’t believe it.”

“Some people deserve it.” Stan said, his gaze locking with Richie’s. “You’re not one of them.”

“Ouch, Staniel.”

Eddie leaned back, resting his head against Richie’s shoulder and tilting it to the side in order to nuzzle at the space just under his ear.

“Okay, how many cups of that stuff did Eddie have since getting here?” Richie asked, motioning to the boy who was still nuzzling at him in a manner similar to a cat. “He’s being more affectionate than usual and I’m not used to it.”

“If I were you, I’d just enjoy it.” Mike said, placing his now empty cup between his legs. “Unless… you _don’t_ want him to be this affectionate?”

“If this turns into some chronic PDA where Eddie starts to grind on Richie or something then I’m out.” Stan said, sipping at his drink. “And I don’t mean out of this room. I will literally just walk back home.”

“Staniel, it’s midnight.” Richie pointed out.

“What’s your point, Richie?”

“Stan, don’t be silly. You can’t just walk home after midnight.” Jessica said, linking her hand with Lucille’s. “It’s far too cold for that. At least let me drive you home if that’s the case.”

Eddie chuckled, lifting his head up from Richie’s shoulder. “You guys are mean.”

Jessica slowly arched a brow, a look of amusement coming to her face. “Excuse me, _who_ was the one who broke a guy’s nose at the start of this week?”

“He was hurting Richie!” Eddie defended. “In my presence that is not okay unless you’re myself or Stan.”

“Thanks Eddie.” Stan said, shooting him a grin.

“Hey, someone has to enforce punishment on him and I might be biased sometimes so that’s when I tag you in.”

“Stan’s definitely the best choice.” Beverly said with a giggle. “He’s always perfectly composed no matter what he’s doing.”

“Makes you wonder if that goes the same for se – ow.” Richie grabbed at his side where Eddie’s elbow had slammed into him.

“Beep, beep, you fucking dumbass. Learn to draw the line.” Eddie scolded.

“Yeah – okay – I got it. Point made.” Richie groaned, rubbing at his side again. “Have I not been abused enough this week?”

Eddie sighed and slowly slid a hand up Richie’s shirt to the place his elbow had connected. Richie flinched as Eddie’s fingers brushed over the bruised area, relaxing when Eddie started to stroke the area in a soothing manner.

“I’m sorry, Rich.” Eddie said, lowering his head back to Richie’s shoulder again, his thumb brushing circles against his side. “I forgot about –”

“Don’t worry about it.” Richie soothed. “I’m a durable man, me. I’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

“The horror.” Stan muttered, earning himself a giggle from Beverly and an elbow to the side from Bill. “I mean – that’s good Rich.”

“You’re going to remember to take it easy over Christmas, right?” Beverly asked, concern ringing in her voice.

“You don’t need to worry, Bev. I’m taking it easy.” Richie assured her with a grin as he stretched his legs out to sit more comfortably. “Eddie makes sure that I move as little as possible while he’s here which is... _every day_.”

“Are you complaining?” Eddie hissed tiredly against Richie’s neck.

“Nope. Not at all my darling Eddie Spaghetti.” Richie ruffled Eddie’s hair with a grin, pausing only to readjust his glasses.

“Good.”

“Does he even really know what’s going on around him?” Mike asked, peering around Bill to look at Eddie. “He looks really out of it.”

Eddie scoffed. “’M tired, not drunk asshole.”

When Eddie woke the following morning, he was in a mass of tangled limbs on the ground with Richie. He didn’t remember falling to sleep, or how he’d ended up on the floor under what he considered to be the world’s comfiest blankets with Richie practically wrapped around him like some kind of octopus.

The only thing he _did_ know, however, was that he was currently the only person actually awake.

The lump of blankets on the sofa (the only thing that he was able to see from his vantage point on the ground) suddenly moved, a tired looking Stan poking his head out from underneath them with a groan.

“When the hell did you get up _there_?” Eddie hissed, trying his best not to wake anyone else in the basement up.

Stan blinked the tiredness from his eyes, finally deciding to take in where he was lying before looking to Eddie. “Huh, I’m not really sure. I think Bill helped me to move at some point. I don’t really remember.”

“Christ Stanley, how much did you drink?”

Stan snorted tiredly. “Enough to block out Richie’s voice, that’s for sure. What time is it?”

Eddie shifted in his awkward position, wriggling his arm from Richie’s grasp to check his watch. “It’s eight.”

Stan groaned. “It’s too early to be awake.”

“I guess this is what happens when we’re the first ones to fall to sleep. I kind of just wanna slap Richie awake so he can suffer too.”

“I wouldn’t.” Stan muttered, dropping his head back onto his pillow. “I can’t handle him this early in the morning and I’d like to enjoy the peace for as long as it lasts since you just _know_ as soon as he’s awake that motor mouth is gonna be working overtime.”

Eddie nodded, using his arm to stifle a yawn. “Yeah, enjoying the peace actually sounds good right about now.”

Stan buried his face back into his pillow, closing his eyes again. Eddie wasn’t sure if he was just enjoying the quiet around him or if he’d fallen back to sleep; not wanting to speak in case Stan was trying to get some more sleep.

A thump sounded somewhere behind him, followed closely by a groan.

“Why the fuck is there a table there?”

Stan chuckled tiredly at the irritation in Jessica’s voice, opening his eyes again. “The real question is why you decided to sleep _next_ to a table.”

“I’m like ninety-eight percent sure it wasn’t there last night.” Jessica grumbled, sitting up to rub at her abused knee.

“Well I really doubt that Richie moved it there just to annoy you – scratch that – that’s something he would _actually_ do.”

“I can hear you asshole.” Richie grumbled, nuzzling his face into Eddie’s hair. “You guys are so loud – especially Jess.”

“Yeah well your table abused me. I have a right to be loud.” Jessica snapped, followed by the sound of Beverly giggling.

“Okay, we’ll more than half of us are awake now.” Richie said, slowly unwinding himself from Eddie to stretch out. “We might as well wake up the others for our usual tradition.”

Eddie groaned, nuzzling his face into his pillow. “It’s eight-thirty.”

“But it’s our breakfast tradition, Eds!”

“Absolutely not.” Eddie growled. “I am not getting out of this blanket nest before nine-thirty, and even then it’s only a fifty-fifty chance.”

“You’re so cute when you’re cranky.” Richie said, rolling over to press a kiss to Eddie’s forehead. “You stay there, and I’ll make the breakfast. You can have breakfast in bed.”

“Oh, oh, oh, let me help!” Beverly said, bolting up out of her blanket nest and bouncing to her feet. “I wanna help!”

“Christ Marsh, how are you so chipper?” Jessica asked, dropping onto her back next to Lucille.

“You’re all just lightweights.” Beverly said, sticking her tongue out at Jessica. “There’s barely any alcohol in eggnog.”

Stan groaned. “But we still drank _a lot_ of it.”

Beverly flipped him off as Richie sat upright and stretched out better, leaning down to give Eddie another kiss on the head.

Eddie shoved him playfully. “Get your butt out of this nest. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back.”

“You are _so_ not a morning person.” Richie chuckled, climbing out of the blanket nest and tucking the blanket around Eddie. “Beverly and I shall return soon enough with breakfast.”

Richie and Beverly had left the basement all of five seconds when Eddie spoke again.

“Richie is cooking… without _real_ supervision…”

“God fucking damn it.” Stan groaned, sitting up and clambering his way off the sofa and over Eddie. “I’m on it.”

Eddie sighed and nuzzled back down into his pillow, closing his eyes again. It felt like he’d only closed them for a mere minute before the three of them returned to the basement, the stairs creaking under their feet.

“Wake up fuckers, it’s breakfast time!” Richie shouted, placing a tray of pancakes onto the table.

“God damn it Tozier.” Lucille groaned, kicking at his leg. “Let me sleep.”

“Richie it’s _nine in the fucking morning._ ” Bill snapped, throwing his pillow at Richie.

“Damn, you guys are really cranky in a morning.” Richie said, dodging the pillow with ease so it hit Stan instead.

“Who the fuck gets up at _nine_ the day after having a party and starts being so damn active?” Mike asked, voice muffled somewhat due to his pillow.

“Apparently Richie.” Eddie groaned.

Richie only chuckled, grabbing one of the plates once Beverly had set them down before loading it with some pancakes and returning to the blanket nest he’d been sharing with Eddie.

He leaned down to give him a kiss, nipping at his lower lip. “Here, I promised you breakfast in bed.”

“Ya forgot to get him a fucking drink to go with it, dumbass.” Jessica said.

“Damn, you really _aren’t_ morning people.”

“Rich, it’s too early for this.” Jessica growled, rolling over and curling up into Lucille’s chest. “I might actually murder you right now if you say the wrong thing.”

Richie shook his head with a laugh, turning his attention to Eddie as he sat up, his hair sticking up at odd angles.

“Damn, if that’s what you look like after a normal night of sleeping, I wonder what you’re like after a night of –”

“Do not fucking finish that sentence, Richie.” Eddie snapped. “I will let Jess murder you.”

Jessica laughed tiredly. “Just say the word, Eddie!”

“Oh my god you’re all so _loud_.” Ben groaned as Beverly sat beside him, a plate full of pancakes for them share on her lap.

“People generally tend to be loud where Richie is con – wait… you’ve been asleep this _whole_ time?” Stan asked, holding a plate out to Mike.

“Yeah, why?”

“How the – even _Bill_ woke up during all the noise.” Mike said, taking the offered plate with a nod of thanks as he was overcome with a yawn.

“Guys… I think Ben learned to _actually_ tune Richie out when he’s asleep. You _have_ to teach me how to do that.”

“I don’t even know how _I_ do it, Stan, let alone teach you how.”

“You guys are really mean.” Richie grumbled, holding a forkful of pancake out to the still barely awake Eddie.

“Are you new to this group or something Trash –” Eddie automatically opened his mouth, allowing Richie to feed him. Swallowing the piece of pancake, Eddie levelled him with a glare. “That’s a really dirty trick, Rich.”

“I do whatever works for me.” Richie shrugged. “Surprised you actually ate that off my fork with your whole germ thing.”

Eddie blinked up at him tiredly. “I’ve literally _swapped saliva with you, you fucking dumbass._ ”

“Oh yeah…”


	12. Chapter Twelve

 

The Christmas vacation had passed far too quickly for their liking, and they soon found themselves back in school, wrapped up in thick layers in order to protect themselves from the cold January weather.

“Why is it so fucking _cold_?” Richie demanded, throwing his backpack down onto his desk so he could work on unbuttoning his jacket.

“It’s called winter, idiot.” Eddie said, hanging his jacket over the back of his chair. “You know, that time of year before it starts to get warm?”

“Can we not just skip winter?” Richie asked, dropping to sit in his chair where he slammed his head onto his backpack. “It would make my life a lot easier.”

Eddie shook his head, unwrapping the fluffy black scarf from around his neck and draping it over the back of his chair with his jacket. “I don’t think the universe cares about any of us having an easy life, Rich.”

Richie didn’t get a chance to respond as the final bell rang and the last few students who hadn’t already been in the homeroom started to make their way in before the homeroom teacher could arrive and mark them as being late.

After two weeks of being able to hug Eddie and hold his hand whenever he wanted to, Richie found the first day back at school to be torturous. Eddie made it _somewhat_ bearable for him to handle, opting to walk close enough to Richie that their arms brushed without it looking obvious that they were dating.

“Hey Tozier, nice face!”

“Same to you, asshole!” Eddie snapped over his shoulder as they passed Brad in the hallway.

Brad no longer had the silvery mask covering his nose, but the bruising was still present under his eyes and over the bridge, along with some swelling on the nose itself from where Eddie’s knee had made contact with it.

“You know I can handle a _verbal_ match with that guy, right?” Richie asked as they ascended the stairwell to the third floor.

“Not the fucking point, Richie.” Eddie growled, shoving Richie with his elbow. “I want him to remember that _I_ was the one who broke his damn nose three weeks ago and that I have no problems in doing it _again_.”

“God you’re cute when you’re protective, Eddie.” Jessica said as she passed them on the landing with Stan.

“Screw you Jess!” Eddie called over the railing.

Jessica looked up at them both with a wide grin. “Defeats the point of who we are if you do that, Eddie!”

Stan shook his head with an amused smile, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her off the steps towards their science class.

Ben was already in the science lab when the two of them entered, idly doodling something inside of his notebook. He looked up when Stan pulled out the chair next to him at their station, giving him a smile.

“How was Math?” Ben asked.

“Hell.” Jessica grumbled, propping her head up on a hand. “Fortunately Stan sits right across the aisle from me.”

“Fortunate isn’t the word I would use since I saved your ass.” Stan said, taking out the books they needed for the class.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, you’re a hero.”

Stan rolled his eyes, his attention drifting to the front of the class while Jessica hunted out her notebook.

“Damn, that guy really did a number on you huh?” Charlie asked, turning in his seat as Richie took his own seat behind him.

“It looks worse than it is.” Richie assured him, rooting around in his backpack for his social studies textbook. “Pain is mostly gone now… until Eddie elbow checks me and reminds me that my torso is heavily bruised.”

Eddie snorted, taking his seat across the aisle from Richie. “Maybe you should stop doing things that make me fucking elbow check you… dumbass.”

Mike chuckled, turning in his seat to look at Eddie. “What did he do now?”

“He was just being Richie.”

Charlie chuckled this time, shaking his head as he turned to face the front of the room again. “Sorry Tozier, I’m on Kaspbrak’s side here. You should stop doing things that make him elbow check you. Then you wouldn’t be in pain like… ever.”

Richie sighed, turning his head in Eddie’s direction. “Why does _everyone_ take your side when it comes to these things?”

Eddie grinned, sticking his tongue out at Richie. “I’m better than you, Rich, and they all know it. That’s why.”

“That’s a bold statement. I feel like I should be taking a poll on this.” Richie muttered, idly opening his textbook.

“I wouldn’t.” Charlie warned, leaning back in his chair. “You might not like the result once you’ve asked all your friends that. You just _know_ Uris will say Eddie.”

Richie groaned. “I don’t know if he would _actually_ mean that or if he would be doing it with the sole purpose of annoying me.”

“Pretty sure it’s both.” Mike said.

Over the course of the morning, Jessica had exhibited irritating behaviour. In math she had been furiously tapping her pencil against her notebook until Mike had taken the pencil away from her until she’d calmed down.

In science, she had clicked her pen so erratically that Stan hand pinned her hand to the work station in order to stop the annoying clicking noise. In literature, she had been bouncing her leg so fast that her knee had slammed off her desk, knocking an array of things onto the floor.

In history, she hadn’t paid attention to a single word that Eddie had said in regards to their project which was due the following week.

Now, at lunch, Jessica was tapping her fork against her tray, staring out of the window next to her.

“Jess.” Lucille said, placing her fork down. “You need to relax.”

The tapping only seemed to intensify until Stan reached over, snagging the fork from her hand and slamming it onto the table where he pinned it under his hand so Jessica couldn’t take it back from him.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” Stan hissed. “You’ve been jumpy all damn morning and it’s getting on everyone’s nerves.”

Jessica finally looked away from the window to Stan, her hand poised over the edge of her tray as if she were still holding the fork. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing Jess.” Lucille said.

“Yes it is.”

“No it’s not.” Lucille hissed. “Jess here, on my suggestion, had to tell her parents that this place has been ‘fixing’ her like they wanted and that she has a boyfriend in order for her to be able to actually leave the house and meet up with me. For a while it’s been working just fine but… her parents now want to meet this mysterious boyfriend which she _doesn’t_ have. And if they find out she doesn’t have one –”

“That’s it?” Stan asked, lifting his hand from the fork.

“What do you mean _that’s it_?” Jessica hissed. “I don’t know if you noticed, Stan, but I don’t even _like_ boys, let alone have a boyfriend.”

“You have six male friends.” Richie mumbled around his fork, waving at the group around them with his free hand. “Any one of us would happily pretend for you if it meant you could get out the house and spend time with your darling girlfriend.”

“You _do_ know that this would require fake dates and actually meeting my parents and convincing them we’re actually a thing, right?” Jessica asked, arching a brow. “And if you think for one moment, Tozier, that I am ever going to let my parents spend even a minute around that gutter you call a mou –”

“I’ll do it.” Eddie said, placing his fork down.

“Come again?”

“I’ll do it.” Eddie repeated. “It just means you owe me another one.”

“Like I’m not in debt to you enough?” Jessica asked.

“Well, one of your debts can be that _you_ do the same with me in regards to my mom because there is no way in hell I can tell her about Richie or my sexuality. I’m pretty sure she’d react the same, if not worse, than your own parents. It works for me too. Every ‘date’ that we go on would just be us going to meet Lucille and Richie, doing our separate things, meeting up at the end, and making sure that one of us drops the other one at home, right?”

“Yeah, that’s literally how we’d do it.”

“Okay so let me get this straight.” Richie said, glancing to Eddie. “You’re literally going to lie to your mother about dating Jess? You of all people?”

Eddie shot him a glare. “Yes, Richie. I’m going to lie so I can actually spend time with you without constantly using Stan as the scapegoat. Besides, it’s not like she never lied to me about anything… like my whole life.”

“I’m proud of you, Eds. You’re a big man lying to Mrs K.” Richie praised, ruffling his hair, his attention settling on Jessica. “You make sure you have my Eddie home on time every night and that no means no!”

Jessica threw her bottle of water at him. “Don’t be gross. I don’t even –”

Richie caught the bottle, setting it onto the table next to his tray. “I distinctly remember you once telling me that you would go straight for ten seconds just to kiss my boyfriend after a speech he gave me in your garage.”

“Yeah, okay, you got me. I did say that.” Jessica said, reaching over the table for the bottle. “So what’s my other debt payback?”

Eddie grinned. “I’ll tell you closer to the date, Jess. I’ve had this in mind for a while now. So when do you need me to come and meet your parents and convince them that you’re not sneaking off with girls?”

Jessica uncapped the bottle of water, furrowing her brow in thought. “I’ll get back to you on that as soon as they tell me when they wanna meet you. What about with your mom?”

“Let me at least warn her of my fake girlfriend first and then we can think of something.” Eddie said as Jessica took a swig of her water.

Stan pinched at the bridge of his nose. “Richie, I think you’ve been a bad influence on Eddie all of these years.”

“I gladly take the blame for that, Staniel!” Richie cheered, once again ruffling Eddie’s hair. “I couldn’t be prouder of him to be honest.”

“And now I’m starting to see why Ben is the mom.” Jessica said, twisting the cap back onto her bottle with a grin.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

 

“So come on Eddie, how did I do?” Jessica asked drying off a plate before holding it out to Eddie.

Eddie looked back over his shoulder in the direction of the hallway and then took the plate from her with a grin. “You did perfectly, Jess. I think she believed it. I think the fact you _made_ lunch helped too. It buttered her up.”

“I am nothing if not fantastic in the kitchen.” Jessica said, turning and leaning her back against the counter. “So that’s one set of parents down, and one to go. Are you sure you can do this twice in one day? We can always tackle mine another day.”

Eddie nodded, closing the cupboard just above his head now that everything was back where it belonged. “I can do this, Jess. The sooner they think – you know – the sooner you’re allowed to actually hang out with Lucille without lying to them about where you are.”

“Technically I didn’t lie.” Jessica pointed out. “I just said I was meeting up with a group of people.”

“One of which was a boyfriend that you _don’t_ have; lie.”

“Ah, Eddie. That’s where you’re wrong.” Jessica said, leaning forward to ruffle his hair. “You’re a boy and you’re my friend, so you’re definitely a boyfriend. You’re just not a _dating_ boyfriend. So, you ready to bail and see Richie now?”

Eddie nodded, pausing on their way out to tell Sonia they were going into the town. Sonia looked up from filing her nails, eyeing the two in the doorway for a moment. Eddie was standing there with his hand linked into Jessica’s, and Jessica was swinging their hands back and forth.

Narrowing her eyes, Sonia securitized them for a moment.

While she was not _entirely_ thrilled about her son dating _anyone_ , Jessica had passed every test that Sonia had thrown at her, and giving her son _some_ kind of leniency would, in her mind, ensure that he was more compliant when it came to other matters.

Certain people in his friend group were one of the matters.

“Alright.” Sonia said, returning to filing her nails. “Make sure you’re home for ten; no later. Not even a minute, you hear me?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring him back personally.” Jessica assured her.

“Got it ma’.” Eddie said, starting to pull Jessica from the doorway. “See you at ten!”

“Goodbye Mrs Kaspbrak!” Jessica called over her shoulder as Eddie hastily pulled her out of the front door.

Eddie glanced back over his shoulder, catching Sonia in the window, scrutinizing them yet again. He released Jessica’s hand, opting for slinging it over her shoulder and pulling her into his side as they made their way down the path to the car.

“She still watching?” Jessica asked, fishing out her car keys from her pocket.

“Yeah. She’s gonna be doing it until we’re in the car and gone.” Eddie said, releasing her once they were at the car so she could walk around to the other side.

“Good thing we’ll be gone in a minute and won’t have her breathing down our necks.” Jessica said, unlocking the car.

Eddie was aware that Sonia was still peering out of the window at them as Jessica started the car and pulled away from the house.

Richie and Stan were sitting across each other in a booth at the café when Jessica and Eddie arrived, the former stumbling to his feet quickly in order to throw his arms around Eddie, clutching him tightly to his chest.

“I missed you.” Richie said, voice muffled in Eddie’s hair.

“It’s been half a day since you last saw me, Rich.” Eddie said, curling his arms around Richie’s waist.

“That’s too long.” Richie complained.

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Well, get going then, but remember I need him back by five thirty.”

Richie released Eddie, shooting Jessica a mock two finger salute. “Don’t worry, I’ll have him back in time for your fake dinner date with your parents, Jess.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, sliding into the booth across from Stan for their study session as Eddie shoved Richie playfully. Richie grabbed at Eddie’s wrist, pulling him forward and linking their hands together.

They left the café hand in hand, walking closely so no one passing them could see that their fingers were threaded together, Richie’s thumb brushing against the back of Eddie’s hand.

“So what movie do you wanna see?” Richie asked as they approached the theatre, releasing Eddie’s hand so he could fish out some money.

“Anything. It doesn’t matter.” Eddie said, batting Richie’s hand away as it made a grab for his own again. “Wait until we’re inside.”

“I can’t wait to get out of this town so I don’t have to hide it.” Richie said, turning his attention back to Lucille. “You sure there’s nothing specific you want to see?”

“I just want… want to spend time with you.”

“You got it Eds.” Richie said as they walked into the theatre. “Hey Lucille, my second favourite girl in the world!”

“Hey Rich.” Lucille greeted as Richie approached the ticket counter, perking up at the sight of the familiar faces. “What would you like to see?”

“Anything! Surprise us!”

“You got it.” Lucille said, ringing up a random movie for them.

“So _where_ exactly did you get the money from for this?” Eddie asked once Richie had paid for their tickets, Lucille waving them off with a grin and a quick shout of ‘enjoy your date’ across the empty lobby.

“Didn’t I tell you?” Richie asked, slinging an arm over Eddie’s shoulder as they made their way to the concessions stand. “I asked my darling parents for a loan so that I could take my boyfriend out on a date to the movies.”

Eddie stopped, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to process Richie’s words. “You told them?”

“A-yup.” Richie said, turning to face Eddie. “I told you I was going to as soon as I could figure out how to say it.”

“I know but I didn’t think you’d do it this soon. How did they take it?”

“You kidding me? Mom laughed and was like _it’s about time you realised you liked Eddie and took him on a date, idiot. How on earth are you so smart and yet so damn stupid?_ ”

“ _Richie_. What if they say something to my –”

“They won’t.” Richie assured, ruffling his hair. “They know what your mom is like. They’re not about to go: _hey Mrs K your son is super gay and dating our lovely Richard!_ ”

Eddie arched tilted his head back to look up at Richie, eyes narrowed a fraction. “Super gay?”

“Too much?”

“Just a bit.”

Once Richie had brought the popcorn and drinks for them, the two of them headed into their designated theatre room. There were a few groups people scattered around the lower floor, and Richie nudged Eddie with his elbow, motioning with his head to the set of steps leading up to the balcony area.

“The last time we sat up here there were seven of us.” Eddie said as they took seats at the front of the balcony.

Unlike the lower area, the balcony was all but deserted aside from a couple sitting at the far end who were more invested in each other than the movie screen, giving Richie and Eddie better privacy to act like a couple.

“Yeah and you knocked your popcorn off the balcony right onto Bowers’ head.” Richie said, not bothering to hold back his laughter at the memory.

“Yeah and then _your_ dumb ass threw his drink over the balcony onto him and made it worse.” Eddie hissed as the lights dimmed around them.

Richie leaned back in his seat, kicking his feet up onto the balcony, setting the popcorn into his lap. “Hey, I would never let you suffer with something like that on your own, just like you wouldn’t with me.”

Eddie couldn’t help but smile, the action illuminated by the screen that neither of them were paying any attention to. “Yeah, you’re right. I wouldn’t let you suffer. When I saw Brad doing what he did… it’s like I went into auto pilot.”

“I’d be the same with you.” Richie said, sliding an arm around Eddie’s shoulders. “Not that you need it. You seem to handle yourself just fine. I distinctively remember you kicking a clown in the face in a moment of pure rage.”

Eddie groaned. “You’re not supposed to keep bringing that up, Rich.”

“Oh come on, it was one of the best things I ever saw you do.” Richie said, tugging on Eddie to pull him closer.

Eddie allowed himself to be pulled into Richie despite how painful the arm rest was when it dug into his side. He just wanted to enjoy this time with Richie. It was rare that they were able to spend any _real_ time together outside of stealing kisses between classes when no one was looking, or quick goodbye pecks when Richie would drop Eddie off at home.

This was a real day they could just be with each other, and no arm rest was going to ruin that.

They paid barely any attention to the movie, Richie spending more time in pressing light kisses to the top of Eddie’s head, running his fingers through his hair, or feeding him popcorn.

At some point during their not-paying-attention-to-the-movie, Eddie tucked his drink between his legs, reaching up to remove Richie’s glasses from his face before leaning up and pressing a kiss to his mouth.

Richie’s fingers tangled into his hair, preventing Eddie from pulling back as he moved forward, flicking his tongue out to run against Eddie’s lower lip. Completely forgetting that they were sitting in the middle of a movie theatre, Eddie’s opened his mouth, allowing Richie’s tongue to snake its way in.

There was no battle of dominance like Eddie had read about in books, just Richie’s tongue caressing Eddie’s own and exploring every inch of his mouth while his fingers stroked through Eddie’s hair in such a slow an sensual way that it sent a fluttering feeling coursing through his body.

A sudden loud noise tore them apart, their attention snapping to the large screen at the front of the theatre as their surroundings slowly sank in.

“Holy shit.” Eddie breathed. “We just –”

Richie only laughed lowly so as not to disturb the people in the lower area of the theatre who were trying to watch the movie.

“You’re doing that wrong.” Stan said, pointing his pencil at Jessica’s work. “Do you, uh, need some help there?”

Jessica groaned, twisting her pencil around in her hand and erasing the mathematical equation she’d been working on. “No, no. I have to learn how to do this myself. I can’t keep relying on you to bail me out.”

“It’s not bailing you out if I just show you how to do it and then you do the rest on your own.” Stan pointed out, returning to his work.

“Nope, I am determined to learn this on my own.” Jessica said, starting to write out the equation again. “So just how long have you been into Bill?”

Stan paused in the middle of writing, slowly looking up at Jessica. “What are you talking about, Jess?”

Jessica looked up at him with a grin. “Come _on_ Stan, I come equipped with a built in gaydar.”

“You didn’t even know Ed –”

“ _That_ was a fluke.” Jessica said, looking back down at her work. “I was in the middle of panicking about the fact I’d told some boy I barely knew that I was into girls and overlooked that said boy was practically screaming _I’m gay._ ”

“Right.” Stan said, writing something down into his notebook before pausing again. “A while, I think, but I’ve only just really –”

“Caught on to your own feelings?” Jessica asked, looking back up at him with a smile.

“Yeah.”

“Been there.” Jessica said, her attention back on her work as she started to write again. “He stares at you, you know. It’s whenever he thinks that no one is looking, and I’ve seen the look that he gives you.”

“You have?”

Jessica hummed, scribbling something down. “He looks at you the way Richie looks at Eddie. The way Lucille looks at me. The way Ben was looking at Beverly over Christmas. It’s like you’re the only one in the room.”

Stan didn’t respond and Jessica looked up from her work again, taking in the red tint that now covered Stan’s face.

“Yeah.” Jessica said, setting her pencil down. “He’s into you too.”

“How did you even notice that?”

Jessica laughed, tapping her pencil against her notebook. “I pay attention to the world around me, Stan. Maybe you should start doing that instead of bothering me about my work being wrong. You might notice a few things yourself.”

“What else have you caught onto that you’re _not_ sharing?”

Jessica grinned, tucking her hand under her head where she tapped the eraser of her pencil against her cheek. “That, _Staniel_ , is for me to know, and you to find out on your own.”

“Do _not_ let that name become a thing, Jess. Come on!” Stan complained. “It’s bad enough that _Richie_ calls me that.”

“Sorry Stan, but I’m a member of Team Reddie so I must honour Richie.”

“Traitor.”

“Oh honey, how could I betray you when I was never on your side to begin with?”

Stan smirked, quickly noting something down for their math work. “You know, I think I’m actually starting to like you more than I do the others.”

Jessica laughed, leaning back in her seat as she wrote something down into her notebook. “They’ll be so crushed.”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

 

“Hey! Jessie! I need a favour!”

Jessica closed her locker with a low clang, her attention shifting to the person who was standing less than a foot away from her, leaning up against the next set of lockers; Richie.

“One, never call me that again unless you want an early demise. Two, good morning to you too, Tozier.” Jessica said, slinging her back onto her shoulder with one hand. “So what can I do for you, Richie?”

“I want you to come on a date with me.”

Jessica arched a brow, adjusting her arm around the books pinned to her chest. “Excuse _you_? Aren’t you supposed to be taking Eddie out on dates?”

Richie rolled his eyes, reaching out and snagging the books from her. “I mean with me and Eddie, idiot. You know, like a double date. Mostly because I really suck at actual dates.”

Jessica attempted to grab her books, but Richie moved his arm back, keeping them just out of her reach. “Did something happen with your movie date Saturday? Eddie seemed to enjoy it from what he told me.”

Richie snorted, slinging his free arm around her shoulders as he led her towards their homeroom. “I mean actual date dates. You know, the fancy things?”

“I think he’d like any date you take him on.” Jessica said, ducking from under his arm.

“Yeah, I know but I want to take him on a _real_ date.” Richie sighed, hanging back as they reached their homeroom. “You know…”

“Oh – _oh_.” Jessica said, turning to face him. “You mean for Valentine’s Day.”

“Yup! So… how about it?”

Jessica bit at the inside of her cheek, tightening her hand around her bag strap. “Okay. Let me talk to Lucille and we’ll handle the plans for it.”

“Thanks Jess, you’re the greatest.” Richie said, holding her books out to her. “You can have these back now.”

“You _are_ aware that you didn’t need to steal my books in order to get me to walk with you to homeroom, right? You could have just started to walk off while talking and I would have followed you anyway.”

“It’s called being a gentleman.” Richie said, stepping around her to enter the room. “Was I supposed to let you struggle with them?”

Jessica rolled her eyes, following him into the room and taking her usual seat across the aisle from Bill, dropping her books onto the table with a thud.

“Hey Jeh-Jess.” Bill greeted, turning to face her.

“Hey Bill.” Jessica dropped her backpack onto the floor, nudging it under her chair with her foot. “Good weekend?”

“Yuh-yeah.” Bill said, a smile coming to her face. “I spuh-spent most of Sunday trying to finish that Math work, buh-but it was good.”

“Oh? Is there any reason why it was so good Billiam?” Richie asked, leaning forward over his desk. “Did you perhaps have a fine-ass tutor?”

“Shuh- shut up Richie.” Bill grumbled.

When the bell rang at the end of homeroom, Jessica gathered her things and waited for Bill while Richie slung his arm around Eddie, leading him away to their science class, his grip tightening when Eddie tried to shove him away.

“So, Bill, I’m a little on the curious side.” Jess said, walking alongside Bill, close enough that their arms were almost touching, which meant that she was close enough for Bill to hear her low voice over the loud students walking around them on their way to class. “Was this little study session of yours good because of a certain curly haired blonde boy that goes by the name of _Stanley Uris_ by any chance?”

“Whu-what?”

“Oh come _on_ Bill.” Jessica grinned, leaning into him. “I see the way you look at him. Granted though, sometimes I’m not sure if you want to grab him and kiss him or just slam him onto a table and fuck him.”

“Jess!”

Jessica let out a laugh, standing upright again. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. It’s true though.”

“I – I – well – uh – you see –” Bill had turned an interesting shade of red as he tried to find the right words to use, and Jessica’s grin widened.

“Come on Bill, use your words.”

“I’m pretty sure he _doesn’t_ like me so it doesn’t matter.”

Jessica snorted, tightening her arms around her books. “Bill, you’re an idiot, do you know that? Actually, both of you are now that I think about it. You’re both _so_ into each other and _so_ oblivious about it.”

“I never said I didn’t like –”

“No, I mean you’re both so oblivious to the other one liking you! Just ask him out on a damn date already and be done with it.”

“ _Jess._ ”

“What? Do you not know how to ask someone out? I can always write you a note like we’re five if you want!”

Bill groaned, tilting his head back. “I knuh – know how to ask a person out, Jess.”

“Well okay, but if you need some help...”

Bill shoved her playfully as they entered their classroom, Jessica bumping into the doorframe. “Guh-go bother Stan for the next hour.”

“Oh no Denbrough.” Stan said, pointing his pencil at the two of them. “Do _not_ unload her onto me.”

“Ya’know something? I’m gonna go sit with Mike.” Jessica said, stepping around Stan’s desk and taking the seat behind him next to Mike. “Hello Mike, you beautiful man.”

Mike chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Hey Jess.”

“Hope you don’t mind me high-jacking this chair.”

“Not at all. Just means I get to spend some time with you for once.”

Jessica grinned. “Great! You’re better than Stan who scrutinises every single one of my pencil strokes on the page.”

“If you did the work right I wouldn’t have to!” Stan shot over his shoulder.

“Hey, Stan? Unless you want my foot up your ass, I’d shut up.”

Stan looked back at her over his shoulder. “Can you even reach, Jess?”

Jessica stared at him, slowly narrowing her eyes. “I hate you.”

“Love you too, Link.”

“Lin – _oh just you fucking wait Stan._ ”

“What are you going to do, Jess? Hit me in the shin with your little sword?”

Jessica crossed her arms and glared at the back of Stan’s head for the entirety of the class, much to Mike’s amusement.

“ _Richie_.” Eddie hissed halfway through science, using his elbow to try and smack at the arm attached to the hand that was on his leg to remove it. “Someone might see.”

Richie snorted, pausing in the middle of his work. The two of them were sitting at the back of the classroom near the window, and the way Richie was sitting made it impossible for anyone to see that his left hand was sitting on Eddie’s leg instead of his own.

Lucille, who sitting directly across from Eddie at their work station started to laugh quietly. “No one can see you guys, right Charlie?”

Charlie looked up from his work, a grin coming to his face. “You kidding? Everyone is far more focused on their work right now.”

Richie grinned now, patting Eddie’s knee firmly. “See? No one will see what I’m doing.”

Eddie groaned, scribbling away furiously in his notebook. “Whatever, just keep that hand in green zones or I’ll stab my pencil through it.”

Richie tapped his fingers against Eddie’s knees in a rhythm only he seemed to know. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

Eddie shook his head, attempting to focus on his work while Richie’s thumb ran comforting circles around his knee.

Jessica waited for Stan once Math was over, fingers drumming irritably against the books in her arms. Stan smirked at her behaviour, shoving her gently as they made their way down the hall to their literature class.

“You’re not still mad are you?”

Jessica shot him a sideways glance. “I’m plotting your death even now as we speak, Uris.”

“Aw, come on, it was a joke.” Stan said while Mike chuckled. “You know I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, taking her usual seat in front of him in literature, slamming her books onto the desk.

“I’m still plotting your death.”

Stan chuckled, leaning back in his seat as he opened his poetry book. “Fair enough. Let me know how that works out for you.”

“I’ll enlist Richie to help me if I have to.”

“Absolutely not.” Stan snapped. “You’re not allowed teammates.”

“Fight me Uris.”

“Name the time and place, Jess.”

“I wouldn’t advise that.” Mike said from across the aisle, setting his books onto his desk. “Did you learn nothing from being friends with Eddie all these years, Stan? Small people are chaotic bundles of rage.”

“But you can also just plant a hand onto their head and keep them in place while they flail their arms around crazily.” Stan said.

“What are you planning to do my Eddie Spaghetti now?” Richie asked, dropping into his seat on Stan’s left.

Stan rolled his eyes. “Nothing. I’m planning to do things to Jess.”

“Like sexually orrr? Cause I mean, if that’s the case then I have some bad news for you, Uris…”

“Beep, beep, idiot.” Eddie snapped, taking the seat in front of Richie. “Put a filter on it or shut up.”

Richie turned to Eddie, sticking his tongue out. “You’re no fun Eds.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“You love it.”

“No – you – just shut up!”


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I swear these chapters just get shorter with time. Sorry about that!

 

“Damn it, I can’t take any more of this shit!” Eddie snapped, shoving his algebra work across the bed in frustration.

Richie, who was leaned up against the footboard of Eddie’s bed, slowly looked up from his almost completed work, furrowing his brow. “Um, do you, maybe need a little bit of help with that over there, Eds?”

“I can’t keep having you bail me out when I’m having a problem with my math work, Richie.” Eddie said, crossing his arms over his chest with an annoyed huff. “I just – I need a minute before my brain burns out.”

Richie arched a brow before returning to his work. “Alright then.”

“How the fuck are you almost done? I’ve only done a quarter of the work!”

Richie grinned, finishing the final problem before he turned the notebook around to face Eddie. “Just copy some of them down from me. The sooner you’re done with your homework, the sooner I can attach myself to you before your mom comes home.”

Eddie sighed, grabbing his notebook and dragging it back into his lap before he started to write. “Thanks Rich.”

Richie hummed, tucking his hands behind his head as he watched Eddie work. “Any time Eds. I actually want you to be able to pass this class. If you don’t graduate with me I’ll be extremely heart broken.”

“I’m not _that_ stupid, Rich.” Eddie hissed, copying the next equation down. “I’m still going to graduate with you and the others.”

“That reminds me.” Richie said with a chuckle. “I heard something interesting yesterday.”

“Oh?”

“Stan, myself, Charlie and Lucille all have the highest grades right now so they’re struggling to pick one of us to be valedictorian.”

Eddie looked up from his notebook. “Firstly, I think it’s safe to say they _won’t_ pick you with that trash mouth of yours. They’ll be scared of you making some gross speech in front of all the parents. Secondly, how the hell did you hear about something like that?”

“Greta’s always helping out in the office. She said she overhead the Principle talking with one of the teachers about it. He ah, apparently sounded quite… frustrated.”

“Well there’s still… three months before they have to pick one of you, right? I’m sure one of you will pull ahead or drop back and make it easier for them to decide.”

“That’s the thing, I thought about lowering my grades a little bit. I don’t want to be picked. Sure, I run my mouth but there’s no way in hell I’m getting up on a stage and making some fucking speech for everyone. Charlie didn’t seem interested either –”

“Wait you _told_ them?”

“Well, yeah. I wasn’t about to keep that from them since _I_ know about it. Sharing is caring, Eds! I told them they can’t say anything to anyone else about it though since I’m not supposed to know this. Anyway, Charlie didn’t seem interested in doing it either because talking to a large group of people makes him want to curl up and die or something.”

“Or something…” Eddie shook his head, looking back down at his notebook as he copied something else down. “You really need to learn how to listen to people when they’re speaking. So how did Stan and Lucille take it?”

“That’s the thing. Stan needs to do it to get his dad off his back about how he never _goes for it_ or something. Which is stupid because Stan is already burning out his brain with all of his studying as it is. He needs to learn to slow the fuck down.”

Eddie hummed in agreement. “What about Lucille?”

“Well, she had family pressure in a different sense. Her mom was one, her grandma, her great grandma. They’ve all been chosen.”

“This isn’t going to like… kill their friendship or something is it?” Eddie asked, concern washing over him.

Richie tilted his head back, letting out a laugh. “Oh no, nothing like _that_ , Eds! Actually, they both decided to take it as a challenge so they’re having some friendly competition to see which one of them gets it.”

“ _Stan_ is having a friendly competition over school grades?”

“Yep! They shook on it.”

Eddie furrowed his brow. “If this starts to mess with their friendship, we might have to actually rip them apart.”

“I don’t think it’s gonna get that bad, Eds. You _know_ Staniel will just give up eventually and let her win so she doesn’t let her family down.”

“I don’t know…” Eddie mused, pausing in the middle of one of the equations. “It’s _Stan_. He might be one of the nicest people ever but… he also has a lot riding on it. It might get rough.”

“Aw, come on have some faith in our Staniel! Even _he’s_ not that heartless, Eds!”

Eddie chuckled. “Yeah. Keep telling yourself that Rich.”

Richie stuck his tongue out, peering down at Eddie’s notebook. “How slow do you write?”

“I have to pick the ones I’m gonna get wrong on purpose very carefully, you know!” Eddie snapped, moving onto the next equation. “If I copy them all down correctly, the teacher is gonna know that I didn’t do this myself.”

“Okay, okay.” Richie held his hands defensively in front of him. “I’m just impatient, sue me.”

Eddie stopped writing and grabbed his notebook, climbing to his feet. Richie watched him carefully, confused by the sudden movement until Eddie walked the length of the bed and then dropped down into his lap where he made himself comfortable, reaching over to turn Richie’s notebook around so he could see what he was doing; balancing his own on his leg.

“Is this okay?” Eddie asked, looking up at Richie.

Richie grinned down at him, sliding his arms around his waist. “Oh, believe me Eds, this is more than okay, but can I ask why?”

Eddie started to write again, relaxing against Richie. “You said you wanted to attach yourself to me so I’m helping you to do that.”

Richie raised a hand and ran his fingers through Eddie’s hair. “Well, you won’t see me complaining. I get to help you relax while you work.”

“Just remember to keep those wandering hands of yours above the waist.” Eddie said, chewing at the end of his pencil.

There was a snort from Richie, but he was otherwise silent, resting his chin against Eddie’s shoulder as he watched his hand move across the page while he worked, tilting his head once in a while to press a light kiss to Eddie’s cheek.

Eddie would wrinkle his nose whenever he felt Richie’s lips on his cheek, a small smile coming to his face as he tried to focus on his work. After ten minutes of this, Eddie closed his book and tossed it aside, twisting in Richie’s arms to face him where he planted a kiss on his mouth.

This was _definitely_ better than doing studying of any kind.

“Call me that one more time and I will make you eat your own text book, Stanley.” Jessica warned, pointing her pen across the booth threateningly. “I did not leave the comfort of my house for this study session just so you keep using that name.”

Mike chuckled, looking up from his French work. “I think it’s cute.”

Jessica groaned, tilting her head back so it thumped against the back of the booth. “ _Why_?”

“Team Stanlon.” Mike said, raising his hand into the air between himself and Stan with a grin.

“Team Stanlon.” Stan repeated, high-fiving Mike.

“No. Absolutely not.” Jessica said, slamming her pen onto her notebook. “You’re not allowed to team up on me like that!”

“Pretty sure we just did, _Link_.” Stan said, idly turning a page in his French book.

“Stop calling me that! I refuse be teamed up on like this! I want a teammate. That’s it, Bill, we are now teammates.”

Bill let out a laugh, turning a page in his French book carefully. “Shuh-sure thing, Juh-Jess. We’ll be Team Willica.”

“Yeah, you hear that Stan? Bill is on my team, screw you.”

Stan smirked, tucking a hand under his chin as he regarded Jessica for a moment. “I’m pretty sure I could convert him.”

“Hey, no! That is _not_ allowed! You either have Mike or you have Bill, you cannot have both! You’re either Team Stanlon or Team Stenbrough!”

“Oh my god, is this really what I’m walking in to?” Ben asked, sliding into the empty space next to Jessica at the end of the booth.

“This is just the average study conversation now, Ben.” Stan looked back down at his French work, carefully placing a ruler under the line of text he needed to translate so he didn’t lose his place. “Apparently our group is divided into Teams now.”

“Hey, I didn’t start this.” Jessica said, holding up her hands in defence. “Richie was the one who said something about Bill naming you guys Team Stanlon and then I named him and Eddie Team Reddie, and it just went from there.”

“Guess that makes Ben and Beverly what? Team Benverly?” Mike asked, furrowing his brow.

“Does this really need to be a thing?” Stan moved his ruler carefully down the page he was working from. “Everyone knows Team Stanlon is the best team.”

“So where does this leave Lucille?” Ben asked, opening his notebook. “Shouldn’t she be on a team with Jessica?”

Jessica huffed, crossing something out in her notebook. “Lucille betrayed me. She’s a Team Stanlon supporter.”

“Team Stanlocile.” Stan said, not looking up from his book.

“Stop turning my girlfriend against me!”

“I’m not doing anything.” Stan said, writing something down quickly before looking back up at her. “Your girlfriend just knows a great team when she sees it and thus supports it. That is in no way my fault.”

“I hate you.” Jessica grumbled as Stan returned to his work again.

Stan didn’t look up from his note book as he wrote.  “No you don’t.”


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just want to apologise in advance for the shoddy quality of this chapter.  
> Dates are not my forte.

 

“So _where_ are we going again?” Eddie asked as Jessica pulled away from his house, her fingers drumming lightly against the steering wheel.

“I told you Eddie, we’re going out somewhere.” Jessica said, keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead as she made her way towards the town which Eddie found odd. Why would she be taking him _there_? “You look nice, by the way.”

“Thanks, you do too.” Eddie glanced out the window as they passed the pharmacy which was in the process of closing for the day. “Seriously though where –”

“Hey, stop worrying about it, Eddie. You’re gonna like this.”

“Why does it make me want to hurl when you say that?”

Jessica only laughed, turning a corner.

When she’d called Eddie that afternoon, the only thing that she said was to wear something nice and be ready by five so they could go out somewhere before she’d hung up the phone, and it had been bothering him since.

What was she doing?

“Jess –”

“Ah, here we are!” Jessica cut him off, turning onto the parking lot of one of Derry’s very few restaurants.

“A restaurant?” Eddie asked. “Why are we –”

“It’s a date, Eddie.” Jessica pulled into a parking space, cutting the car engine off. “Just relax a little, okay?”

“A date? I thought these were just fake things we _said_ we were going on so we could fool our parents?”

Jessica grinned, unbuckling her belt and opening her door. “It’s a friend date, Eddie. It’s a way of me thanking you for helping me.” She climbed out of the car, taking a moment to smooth out her dress. “Now are you coming or do I have to drag you in?”

Eddie groaned, unbuckling his belt and climbing out of the car. “Shouldn’t _I_ be the one taking you on these things for all the fake dates where you let me sneak off to be with Richie? Why did you have to pick the fanciest place in town?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica said, locking the car and shoving the keys into her purse. “Just, trust me okay? You’re _really_ gonna like this.”

“You’re making me nervous now.”

Jessica smiled, holding out her arm to him. “Trust me a little, Eddie. It’s not like I’m Richie, you know.”

Eddie took the offered arm and the two of them walked across the parking lot towards the building. The woman who greeted them smiled as she greeted them politely, gushing something about younger couples being ‘simply adorable’ as she led them towards one of the booths.

Jessica slid into the booth with her back to the entrance, patting the bench beside her as the greeter left.

“You’re gonna wanna sit here, Ed.”

“What? Why –”

“ _Trust me_.” Jessica stressed, patting the bench again.

Eddie sighed, sliding into the booth next to Jessica. Jessica didn’t speak aside from to thank the waitress when she placed two glasses of water onto the table for them, checking the time on her watch once in a while.

“Okay, seriously, _why_ are we here?” Eddie asked, turning to face Jessica. “If you wanted to take me on a friend date as a thank you, the movies would have been just fine for that. And why did it have to be _today_ when I should be spending it with my boyfriend?”

Jessica tilted her head in his direction and grinned at him. “You really need to learn to trust me a little more, Eddie. I would never rip you away from – well it’s about time. I was wondering if you two got lost.”

Confused, Eddie turned to see who Jessica was addressing behind him. Lucille was standing there thanking the woman who had greeted them, clad in a pale blue dress, and beside her was a Richie that Eddie wasn’t used to seeing.

The last time that he’d seen Richie wear a suit had been the night the boy had climbed into his room after Stan’s Bar Mitzvah to tell him about the ‘incredibly awesome speech’ he’d given. Even then his shirt had been untucked and his tie was loose and hanging down his chest.

He’d never actually seen pre-trying-to-escape-his-suit Richie before.

And he wasn’t going to complain about how he looked fully dressed up any time soon.

“Well don’t _you_ clean up nicely, Rich?” Jessica asked, tucking a hand under her chin with a smile. “Almost as human as the rest of us.”

Richie stuck his tongue out at her, waiting for Lucille to slide into the booth before he followed her, sitting directly across from Eddie as he adjusted his glasses slightly.

The greeter distributed the menus out amongst them, Eddie barely registering the items as he took them from her and handed one over to Jessica, his attention still fixed on just how damn _good_ Richie looked in a suit.

“Hey, Eddie, you gonna keep staring like that or actually say hello to your date at some point tonight?” Jessica asked, amusement laced in her voice as she nudged Eddie lightly in the side with her elbow.

Eddie snapped out of whatever trance he’d been in until now, a red tint dusting his face. “R-right, sorry. Hi Richie.”

Richie chuckled, resting his arms on the table as he gave Eddie a once over. “Hi to you too, Spaghetti man. Lookin’ good.”

Lucille smacked Richie’s shoulder with her menu. “What did we _just_ talk about on the way here, Richie?”

Richie groaned, rubbing at his arm. “Uh, not to use any stupid nicknames because it’s a special occasion?”

“Exactly.” Lucille said, opening her menu. “Okay, this dinner is on me guys so you better order something good or I will murder you.”

“My girlfriend, boys.” Jessica announced, opening her own menu with a shake of her head. “Isn’t she just a lovely person?”

Richie chuckled, but otherwise remained silent. After ordering their food, the four of them relaxed, and Eddie found his attention drifting back to Richie to stare at him, barely registering anything that came out of his mouth.

“Damn, Richie, you look _so_ good that Eddie is slipping into some kind of a coma.” Lucille said, drumming her fingers gently against the table. “Look at him. The poor boy can’t take his damn eyes off you.”

Eddie’s face reddened. “S-shut up Lucille! I’m not –”

“Hey, I’m not judging you.” Lucille said, reaching over and ruffling Richie’s hair with her hand. “He _does_ look pretty damn attractive right now.”

“Thanks Luci – you do too.” Richie said, shooting her a grin. “Not as good as my darling Eds does though.”

Lucille rolled her eyes, shoving Richie playfully.

Eddie found that it was difficult to take his eyes away from Richie even during the main part of their meal. Just when he thought that Richie couldn’t get any more attractive, he had to put on a damn suit and become ten times hotter to him.

He hated it and loved it at the same time.

Jessica excused herself between the meal and desert to go the bathroom, pausing at a table on the way back and doing a double take.

“Holy crap, you actually did it.” Jessica said upon realising that it was _definitely_ Stan and Bill sitting at one of the tables closer to the bathrooms. “I was starting to think I would have to enlist some help into getting you two idiots together. So come on, which one of you asked who out to this fine place tonight?”

“Hey Juh-Jess.” Bill greeted with a smile. “Suh-Stan asked me.”

“Hi, Link.” Stan said, a teasing smile coming to his face when Jessica huffed at the nickname. “Are you here with your girlfriend or your boyfriend?”

“I’m here with both of them, actually. It’s a double date. Richie’s idea if you can believe that.” Jessica said.

Stan snorted and took a sip of his drink. “I can, actually. The guy is clueless when it comes to actual dates and needs all the help that he can get. Doesn’t surprise me at all that he would come to you or Lucille for help.”

“I’ll let him know you said that sometime.”

“Please do.”

Jessica let out a laugh. “Well I’ll leave you two to your date. I have my own to get back to and I don’t doubt for a second that if I’m gone too long they’re going to come looking for me. I’ll see you Monday.”

“See you Jess.”

Bill nodded. “Buh-bye. Have fun.”

“I’m on a date with Richie, Bill.” Jessica said, already walking backwards away from them. “Of course I’m having fun.”

Jessica returned to the booth and Eddie stood to let her slide back in before taking his seat again, his eyes never once leaving Richie.

“Has he been like that the whole time I’ve been gone?” Jessica asked.

Richie chuckled. “Yup. I’m starting to get a little concerned, actually. I think I might have broken him. What took you so long anyway?”

“Oh, I ran into someone I know on the way back. I thought it would be impolite not to say hello to them.” Jessica said, figuring that Bill and Stan probably didn’t want their friends knowing about them just yet.

After they’d had their dessert (in which Eddie once again had been constantly staring at Richie because he was just so damn distracting to him right now), Lucille paid the cheque and the four of them left the restaurant, lingering for a while in the parking lot while Jessica hunted out the keys to her car from her purse.

“I’ll take Eddie back.” Jessica said, finally locating her keys and pulling them from the purse. “We have to keep up the illusion that he and I are dating, after all. His mom is gonna love me for having him home by nine.”

“It works in our favour, Jess.” Richie said. “If you keep taking him home on time or early, she’ll trust you more and let Eds go out with you more which means that I then get to spend more time with him that doesn’t involve me hiding under a bed or jumping out of a window.”

“You jumped out a window?” Lucille asked, furrowing her brow. “Like actually just… jumped out of it?”

“There’s a tree outside the window.” Richie said, fishing his car keys from his pocket. “I might have missed the branch once and fell.”

“Ouch.”

“Eh, I lived. Heart’s still beating. Okay, if Jess is taking Eddie back, I’ll take you and then drop my car home. Leave your window open Eds.”

Eddie nodded, though Jessica was pretty sure that he hadn’t listened to a word they’d been saying since they’d stepped outside. Grabbing his arm gently, she steered Eddie towards her car and unlocked it.

The drive back to Eddie’s was mostly silent, amusing Jessica further that the simple appearance of Richie in a suit had such an impact on him.

Jessica pulled up outside of Eddie’s house, her attention turning to the boy in her passenger’s seat. “You okay there, space cadet?”

“What? Oh yeah.” Eddie said. “Uh, thanks for the surprise date Jess.”

“It was Richie’s idea. He wanted to take you somewhere nice, realised he sucked at actual dates, and then enlisted my help to make it happen. If you’re gonna thank anyone, thank Richie when he comes over.”

“When he what?”

Jessica giggled, resting her arms on her steering wheel. “You weren’t paying attention outside the restaurant were you?”

“Richie in a suit is very distracting.”

“He said for you to leave your window open which I means he’s going to be sneaking into your room as soon as he’s taken Lucille home.”

Eddie nodded, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Thanks again, Jess.”

“Anytime Eddie! Now get in there so your boyfriend can come sneak into your room!”


	17. Chapter Seventeen

 

On the Seventh of March, Eddie found himself doing something adventurous; at least to him. He was skipping school. Richie never attended school on his birthday, claiming that it was _his_ day to do whatever he wanted including not leaving his bed, and Eddie was determined to spend the entire day with him.

Eddie had phoned Jessica in the morning while Sonia was still sleeping, asking for her to cover for him while he skipped school to spend the day with Richie and she’d agreed, Eddie marking it down as paying back one of the favours that she owed him.

He packed his school bag like he did every morning as he heard the sounds of his mother getting up for the day, pausing on his way out to give her a quick peck on the cheek and a ‘goodbye’ tossed over his shoulder to keep her happy as he rushed out of the house.

Thirty minutes later, he was at Richie’s, Maggie letting him into the house on her way out to work with a smile and a good morning. Eddie removed his shoes at the door and dropped his bag next to Richie’s, creeping his way up the stairs so as not to alert Richie of his presence.

Richie was still sleeping when Eddie reached his room, his back to the door and his body slightly curled under his blanket. The birthday cards from his friends and parents were (surprisingly) neatly positioned on his desk, and Eddie was positive that Richie had opened them the second midnight had struck since the envelopes were still scattered across the floor.

Eddie shook his head fondly, removing his jacket and hooking it over Richie’s desk chair quietly. He made his way over to the bed, lifting the blanket and slowly easing himself under it; trying his best not to wake Richie up from his sleep.

Richie didn’t stir as Eddie settled into the space behind him, one arm sliding around his waist with his forehead pressed against the space just under the back of his neck. Eddie enjoyed the comforting silence as he just lay there and held Richie, his hand sliding into his shirt to trace his fingers gently against the flesh of Richie’s stomach up towards his chest.

This time Richie _did_ stir, letting out a groan of protest at his sleeping being disturbed. Any normal person would have been concerned about another person suddenly being in their bed, but not Richie. It was like he knew without turning around that it was Eddie, his arm shifting to slide his own hand up his shirt where his fingers entwined with Eddie’s, making no attempt to stop his boyfriend’s exploration of his body.

“Now _this_ is a morning that I could get used to.” Richie said, his voice laced with tiredness and slightly muffled by his pillow.

Eddie smiled, shifting his head to press a light kiss against Richie’s neck. “Maybe I should start doing this every year then.”

Richie snorted, his thumb stroking against the side of Eddie’s hand which was now tracing patterns against his ribcage. “If I get my way we’re gonna be roommates in college anyway so we can just do this _every_ morning, though it might make me more liable to skip my classes so I can spend even more time with you.”

Eddie could feel his smile widen, his nose nuzzling lightly against the area of skin he’d just kissed. “You know… that _does_ sound a lot better than me having to sneak into your room in a morning to do this.”

Richie let out a tired laugh. “So let me guess, you came all the way here to wake me up and try and talk me into going to school for once?”

Eddie was the one to snort this time, placing light pecks against Richie’s shoulder. “Nope. I decided to call in one of my favours with Jess. She’s covering for me while I skip school and spend the _whole_ day with you.”

Richie smiled, squeezing Eddie’s hand gently. “The whole day huh? _There’s_ an amazing present.”

Eddie chuckled, his breath ghosting over Richie’s shoulder. “Yeah, I kinda had a feeling that you’d like that idea.”

Richie hummed in content, rolling over to face Eddie, tilting his head up to kiss him. “I’d be stupid not to like it, Eds.”

Eddie slipped his hand back into Richie’s shirt and slowly trailed his fingers gently up his spine. “Yeah, you would be. So what do you want to do today?”

“I can think of a few things…” Richie mused, placing a hand to Eddie’s hip where his thumb began to rub idle circles.

Eddie arched a brow. “Oh really now?”

“They involve a lot less clothes though...”

Eddie was quiet for a moment as he contemplated Richie’s suggestion. He knew _exactly_ what his boyfriend was hinting at after all the years of just being his friend, and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it before.

Just as Richie was starting to think he’d broken Eddie and was trying to think of a joke to break the silence that was starting to become uncomfortable, Eddie shifted and rolled them over as he swung one of his legs out, pinning Richie under him.

“Uh, Eds?” Richie asked, staring up at him with wide eyes.

“Mhm?”

“What are you –”

Eddie leaned down to kiss him, running his fingers gently through Richie’s hair with a soft hum. “I’m doing what you suggested, Rich. All you need to do is just lie there and relax while I take care of you.”

“While you –”

“It’s your _birthday_ , Rich, and I’m determined to make sure that it’s the best one that you’ve ever had.”

“Eds you don’t have to –”

Eddie nudged Richie in the side with his knee, his eyes narrowing into a glare. “Richie, shut the fuck up before I find something to gag you with. I _want_ to do this. Just… tell me if you want me to stop at any point.”

Jessica crammed a bunch of papers into her math book, shoving the item into her backpack a little too forcefully to try and make it fit into the small space. Even though he was skipping school for the day, Eddie had asked her to collect his work; mostly for the sake of fooling his mother into thinking he’d actually attended.

“If you shove more stuff into that bag it’s gonna explode.”  Stan said, packing his things away slowly and neatly into his backpack.

“I’m not gonna carry it around in my bag _all_ day, Stan.” Jessica snapped, shouldering her backpack carefully. “I’m gonna drop some of this stuff into my locker after literature. I’m not stupid, you know.”

“Debatable.” Stan said, shouldering his own bag before the two of them left the math room.

“Oh, aren’t we funny?” Jessica asked, shoving him with her elbow. “So how are things with you and Bill anyway? You been on anymore dates?”

Stan hummed, drumming his fingers against the strap of his bag as they walked. “They’re good. We’re going out again this Friday.”

Jessica grinned, leaning closer to him. “Oh? And what do you two have planned nice?”

“I don’t know. It’s Bill’s turn to pick the date this time.” Stan said, using his elbow to gently push her an inch out of his personal space. “Thanks by the way for not telling the others when you saw us in the restaurant.”

“No problem Stan.” Jessica said, squeezing through a small group of students after him. “I figured if you wanted the others to know about you guys, you’d tell them yourselves. You’re hardly like Richie who felt the need to tell everyone the second he started dating someone. That’s just not the way you or Bill work.”

“It’s not that I don’t want people to know.” Stan admitted, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure that none of the others were around. “We just kind of want to see how this goes for a while first. Make sure that…”

“I get it, Stan.” Jessica assured him with a smile. “Not everyone knows right away they’re gonna click as a couple and you need to make sure you’re doing that. It’s fine. You uh… you two look good together though, just so you know.”

“I think that’s the first real compliment you’ve given me since we became friends, Jess.”

“Don’t look too much into it.” Jessica said as they entered the literature room.

Jessica took her usual seat at the table she shared with Richie when he was actually in class, surprised when Stan didn’t take his seat in front of her but rather directly beside her.

“Uhh, don’t you usually sit there?” Jessica asked, nodding her head in the direction of the empty table in front of them that Stan usually shared with Eddie.

“Usually, yes.” Stan said, taking out his books and setting them onto the table neatly; a nice contrast to Richie who usually just splayed his things out messily one the desk. “But today I figured I’d keep you company since you don’t have Richie to do that.”

“Huh.” Jessica mused, rifling through her bag. “Can we make this seating change permanent?”

Stan snorted, opening his notebook. “Sure. Richie would prefer to sit with Eddie anyway.”

Jessica nodded her agreement, dropping her notebook onto the desk before delving back into her backpack for her text book. “Makes you wonder why we didn’t do this in the first place.”

Stan opened his textbook to the page marked on the board at the front of the room. “It’s probably because we were already in these seats when you started here.”

“So, what? No one wanted to sit next to Richie?”

Stan chuckled, chewing on the end of his pen. “You’ve shared a desk with him, Jess, you tell me.”

Jessica let out a laugh. “Yeah, okay. You’re right. That boy needs to learn how to keep his work in front of him and not all over my work. I’ve thought about throwing his notebook across the room a few times and I’m not ashamed to admit that.”

“That makes two of us, Jess.”

“Can we just make this seat trade permanent in French too?”

“Sure thing Jess.”

Eddie woke from his impromptu nap around two in the afternoon. Richie was still sleeping, and the two of them were a mass of tangled limbs under the blanket. From his vantage point, he could make out his own shirt hanging from the headboard just above Richie’s head, barely hanging on by its sleeve.

He reached out, grabbing the shirt and pulling it from the headboard, tossing it over his shoulder onto the floor. Richie stirred from the sudden movement around him, tightening his grip around Eddie.

“If you think that I’m letting you get out of this bed before it’s time for us to leave, you have another thing coming. I’m enjoying this.” Richie mumbled tiredly.

“I wasn’t trying to leave, Rich.” Eddie said, dropping his arm back over Richie’s side. “I was moving my shirt before it had the chance to fall and attack you. How did it get up there anyway?”

Richie chuckled, pressing a few kisses to Eddie’s nose. “Probably the same way my boxers ended up on one of the posts at the foot of the bed.”

Eddie snorted and buried his face into Richie’s chest. “Wow we really got carried away with the clothing removal part.”

There was another chuckle from Richie, his lips pressing against the top of Eddie’s head. “I really don’t want to get up but we really have to eat something at some point.”

“It can wait for a bit, Rich. I’m comfy.” Eddie mumbled against his chest.

“Okay, okay, fine.” Richie said, nuzzling at Eddie’s head lightly. “We’ll relax for another thirty minutes and then we’ll get up and eat something.”

“Sounds good.”

Richie released a sigh, stroking his fingers through Eddie’s hair gently. Eddie nuzzled at Richie’s chest with a yawn, his body curling into his.

Jessica and Lucille picked them up at five as they’d planned for the party at Mike’s farm, the former arching a brow in mild amusement as the two of them climbed into the back of the car looking more than a little roughed up.

“So should I ask why Richie is limping slightly or just assume that he pulled a leg muscle?” Jessica asked as she pulled away from the house.

Eddie promptly looked out of the window with an amused smile and Richie was suddenly a rather interesting shade of red.

“Hey, you just focus on driving Jess.” Richie hissed out, nudging the back of her seat with his knee hard enough for her to feel it.

Lucille giggled, leaning forward to turn on the radio. “So… Eddie likes to top. Interesting.”

Richie groaned loudly and tilted his head back with a thump against the seat while Eddie and Jessica laughed.

Jessica made a stop at Ben’s to pick him up on the way to the farm, dropping the subject about what Richie and Eddie had been doing, Lucille occasionally messing with the radio while muttering something about making Jessica a decent tape for the car.

Mike had cleaned out and decorated the barn for Richie’s party, complete with a table set up with food and drink on it, Mike’s boom-box resting on a chair next to it. Richie released Eddie’s hand upon spotting Charlie, settling for resting his arm on his shoulder instead to support himself.

“You don’t have to hide it from Charlie.” Mike said, clapping Richie on the shoulder. “It turns out he’s been onto you guys for like a year or two now and he’s been waiting to see if you two would _ever_ get together.”

Richie groaned, lowering his arm to curl it around Eddie’s waist. “Okay, seriously, was everyone in on this whole thing but me?”

Stan attempted to stifle his laugh into Bill’s shoulder. “Uh, yeah, something like that. The main thing is that you got there. Now get your ass over here, Trashmouth. We got you a cake and you’re going to enjoy it.”


	18. Chapter Eighteen

 

“So like, should we be concerned that Stan and Bill keep vanishing all the time?” Richie asked one lunchtime, entwining his fingers with Eddie’s under the table in the cafeteria.

“I doubt it.” Ben said, uncapping his bottle of water. “They’re probably just studying.”

Jessica snorted, moving some food around her tray with her fork. “Yeah, if what they’re studying is the human anatomy.”

Mike choked, spilling his soda down the front of his jacket. “ _What_?”

“Gee, don’t die on us Mike.” Jessica said, grinning across the table at him. “It was a joke.”

“I’m so proud of our new sister.” Richie said, wiping a non-existent tear from under his eye before slinging his free arm around Jessica. “They grow up so fast.”

“You’re clearly spending way too much time with Richie.” Ben deadpanned.

“Do you even realise that you just implied we’re brothers even though we’re dating?” Eddie asked, looking up at Richie.

“ _That’s_ what you picked up?” Mike asked, wiping a napkin down his shirt.

Richie grinned, squeezing Eddie’s hand. “Incest is all the rage, Eds!”

Eddie grimaced. “Gross, Rich.”

Richie heaved a sigh. “You just can’t please some people. But seriously… Bill and Stan keep vanishing and I can’t help but wonder _why_.”

“Okay, why don’t you take all that wondering about Bill and Stan and just direct it onto loving on Eddie?” Jessica suggested, scooping some food up onto her fork. “That’s where all your attention is _supposed_ to be going.”

“The lady has a point.” Charlie said, placing his fork down. “Why be so bothered about what Stan and Bill are doing when you could be giving Eddie your _complete_ attention?”

“I _do_ like the sound of that better.” Richie mused. “However, I am unable to do that in here with all these people around, so for now I shall ponder the curious behaviour of our friends.”

“Of course you will.” Jessica said.

“Hey, I have to fill up the time I can’t love on Eddie with _something_.” Richie grumbled.

“Yes but does it have to be _that_?”

“Are you really going to ask _Richie_ that?” Eddie asked.

“Good point, Eddie.”

“You know what? I bet they’re doing it!” Richie said, slamming his hand onto the table and startling Jessica who dropped her fork with a clatter onto the floor. “Wait no, Stan is too uptight to fuck someone in a school.”

“Christ, did you _have_ to give me a fucking heart attack?” Jessica hissed.

“Richie has this really bad habit of being startlingly loud.” Mike said, returning to his food. “It can be quite troublesome at times.”

“Apparently.”

Stan was two minutes late to his literature class, looking somewhat ruffled as he took his new seat next to Jessica. The teacher didn’t bother to acknowledge Stan’s presence as he took out his books, placing them neatly onto the desk in front of him.

“You should really cover that up.” Jessica said, idly taking notes with occasional glances to her text book. “Someone might notice.”

“What are you talking about?” Stan asked, opening his book.

Jessica stopped writing, lifting her pen and pointing to his neck. “That hickey on your neck. Like _damn_ , button your shirt up the rest of the way or something before a certain trashmouthed annoyance spots that mark.”

“Shit.” Stan hastily fastened up the top two buttons of his shirt, the collar concealing the bruise that Bill had left on his neck. “Thanks Jess.”

Jessica made a humming sound in the back of the throat, returning to her work.

“Hey Jess?” Stan asked about five minutes later, drawing a sigh from the girl next to him.

“ _What_ Stan?”

Stan didn’t say anything for a moment, dipping a hand into his pocket to pull out a small mirror which he opened and slid across the desk to her. Jessica blinked at the sudden appearance of her reflection muttering a low curse when she could see what Stan did.

One of her eyes had gone an irritated angry looking red. Jessica grabbed her bag quickly and pulled it onto her lap, hunting out a small case which she set onto the table. Unscrewing the lid of the bottle quickly, she poured some of the clear liquid into the case.

Stan cringed when Jessica placed a finger onto her eye to remove one of her contact lenses, hastily putting it into the case before removing the other. Once the lid was screwed tightly back onto the case, she carefully shoved it into a side pocket of her backpack and hunted out another case, fumbling to open it to retrieve the grey rimmed glasses from inside.

“So, glasses huh?” Stan asked, idly noting something down in his notebook.

“Yup.” Jessica returned the bottle to her backpack which she dropped back onto the floor. “Thanks, by the way. Should I even ask why you carry a mirror?”

“When you wake up with ‘fuck face’ scribbled on your forehead after a party with Richie, you tend to learn that a compact mirror is required on your person at all times.” Stan said, taking the mirror back and snapping it shut. “You know, just case.”

“Oh no, I get it. It makes total sense.” Jessica said, biting back a laugh. “Let me guess, you had it done to you more than once before you invested in a mirror.”

“Five times.”

“Wow.”

“Gee Staniel, you could just try not falling to sleep fir –” Richie paused in mid-sentence as he turned, staring at Jessica. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Jessica said, waving him off. “She wears glasses, _wow_ , big deal.”

“No it’s not that.” Richie said, his own eyes narrowing behind his glasses. “Your eyes are two different colours!”

“Yep.”

“How come we never –”

“Because I wear contacts usually.”

“You’ve _literally_ had sleepovers at my house!”

“Should learn to pay attention to people other than Eddie for once then.”

Richie snorted. “Yeah because _that’s_ gonna happen.”

“Mr Tozier, turn around and focus on your _own_ work and not Mr Uris’!” The teacher snapped from the front of the class, drawing a snort from Eddie.

Richie huffed and turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. “You should stop wearing those contacts, by the way. The glasses look better.”

“He’s right.” Stan said, not looking up from his work. “Shouldn’t hide who you are. We all learned that once.”

“Says the one hiding his hickey.” Jessica teased, keeping her voice low.

“Oh fuck you Jess.”

“Lose the dick and grow a vagina and I might let you.”

“ _Oh my fucking god._ ”

Jessica snorted. “For someone who was raised in religion, you sure say that a lot.”

“Gee, with friends like you and Richie, I wonder fucking why.” Stan hissed.

Jessica let out a laugh but otherwise said nothing as she returned to her work, remaining silent for the rest of the double class much to Stan’s delight. His delight was further intensified by the fact Richie did not bother to turn around and try to talk to them again due to a mixture of the teacher still watching him and Eddie hissing at Richie whenever his attention strayed away from his notebook.

“I’m really enjoying this warmer weather thing we have going on.” Richie said, swinging Eddie’s hand between them as they walked home from school, his other hand gripping the strap of his backpack to keep it positioned on his shoulder. “I get to spend extra time with you before I have to hand you over to a dragon.”

Eddie snorted, tightening his grip on Richie’s hand, the other tucked into his pocket. “Me too, Rich. I hate having limited time because of the car rides in the cold between leaving school and my fake dates.”

Richie bent his arm, nudging Eddie’s arm gently with his elbow. “It’s only for now though. Once we graduate we’ll be free to leave this crappy town and its suffocating nature. We’ll be able to be together all the time openly.”

“Yeah.” Eddie said, closing the space between them to lean against Richie. “Mom’s not happy about me moving to L.A.”

Richie chuckled, releasing Eddie’s hand so he could wrap his arm around his shoulder. “I can imagine. Mine are oddly ecstatic but I think it’s because I’ll be learning to be independent and all that good stuff. They _want_ me to learn to survive on my own.”

There was another snort from Eddie. “Except you won’t be independent and on your own. I’ll be there babysitting you the whole time.”

“Yeah, that _does_ kind of stick a wrench into their plan…” Richie mused, ruffling Eddie’s hair idly. “But I’d rather it that way. I’ll have my own personal doctor!”

“As long as you don’t expect me to dress up every time you’re sick –”

“Not even just once?”

Eddie groaned. “Okay, if you’re so sick you actually have to stay in bed for an extended period of time then I’ll dress up for you to make the experience better.”

“You know I’m going to hold you to that, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s okay.”

Richie grinned, now stroking his hand awkwardly through Eddie’s hair. “So what does my little Eddie Spaghetti have planned for when he’s in L.A? You know, other than taking up most of my bed.”

Eddie laughed, nudging Richie playfully towards the edge of the curb. “I’m not really sure. I thought about going into medicine. Damn, I know _you’re_ gonna need patching up a lot with that motor mouth you have.”

“You’d be a great Doctor, Eds!” Richie said, squeezing his arm around Eddie’s shoulders.

“So what about you? What’d you wanna do?”

Richie shrugged, leaning onto Eddie slightly. “Education-wise I’m not really sure, but I definitely want to become a DJ.”

“We’re gonna get out of this place, Rich. You’re gonna be an awesome radio DJ with annoying voices, but everyone’s gonna love it.”

Richie nodded. “Yeah, and you’re gonna become one of the best doctors out there. And more importantly… we’re gonna be together.”

“Yeah. We are. And we’re not gonna hide. We can really be open out there.”

“Just gotta make it through these last few months first and then we’re free of this stupid town once and for all!”

“We got this, Rich.”

“Yeah. We do. Me and you.” Richie came to a stop as they reached the corner of Eddie’s street, releasing his bag strap to wind his other arm around Eddie. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours on your date.”

Eddie punched him in the shoulder with a grin. “Same to you.”

Richie chuckled, bending down to kiss Eddie quickly before they parted ways to head home.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

 

March faded into April, and with April came a sudden increase in their work. Most of their classes had them doing copious amounts of essays and papers that would be worth forty percent of their final grade after their exams the following month, and with the new workload came stress.

Stan became snappier than usual; slamming lockers and doors shut and increasing the amount of times he told Richie to shut up; not that Richie took any of this to heart since he knew how stressed out everyone was becoming.

Bill and Mike barely showed up for hangouts and lunch in the cafeteria, focusing on the studies for their exams along with college papers to secure their places at the colleges they’d chosen.

Stan and Lucille, the ever straight A’d students with crisp clean records and parents who had been making them prepare for college for the last two years had already received their placements within a two weeks of sending out applications; the two of them off to Yale the following year.

“So, you’re not going to Yale with Lucille?” Richie asked, looking up from his work.

Richie, Eddie, Ben, and Jessica had been meeting daily at Richie’s house to try and do their vast amounts of work in peace, cramped around the kitchen table with an array of books scattered around them, bags piled up haphazardly under the table and cans of soda both empty and half drunk in the middle of the work.

Richie had taken all of the empty cans at some point and had started to build a small tower in the middle of the table in an attempt to clean up the space a little since he was too lazy to actually throw them into the trash.

“Please, I could never get into Yale.” Jessica laughed, scribbling something down. “I sent out applications to places in L.A and New York.”

“You _what_?” Eddie asked, dropping his pen onto his notebook.

“L.A and New York.” Jessica repeated, idly twiddling her pen between her fingers as she looked up at Eddie. “Come on Eddie, you knew this was gonna happen. Everyone grows up and they part ways to the collage of their choices, and then they grow apart.”

“That’s just life.” Ben said, pausing in the middle of writing his sentence. “Even Beverly and I are going to different places. It’s just that our places are probably an hour or two away from each other.”

“No – no – it’s not that.” Eddie said, slamming a hand onto the edge of the table to catch his pen before it could roll off the end, the stack of empty cans wobbling dangerously in the centre of the table. “It’s just that Richie and I sent off applications to L.A too.”

“You did? Why didn’t you say anything about this before?”

“I thought you’d already sent one off to Yale with Lucille!” Eddie defended. “The three of us could be going off to the same place together! It’d be better if we _all_ were but this is great too!”

“If New York doesn’t snatch her up.” Richie pointed out.

“Don’t you fucking ruin this for me.” Eddie said, pointing a finger threateningly at Richie. “I swear to god I will beat you with your own fucking books.”

Richie held up his hands defensively. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop. I’m actually hoping Jess gets accepted into L.A. I’d hate to think of her going somewhere else all alone while the rest of us have some kind of company. I mean, think about it.”

“Let’s see, four years alone or another four years with _you_.” Jessica jabbed with a grin.

“Ouch, you wound me ma’am.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, slapping Richie’s arm. “I promise Jess, if we all end up at L.A, then I’ll keep him on his best behaviour when it comes to you.”

Richie slowly arched a brow. “And just _how_ do you plan on doing that exactly?”

“I’m going to train you with kisses for good behaviour.”

Ben snorted. “I can’t see Richie turning _that_ down, and if he does I’m going to assume an alien took the real Richie and replaced him with some weird ass replica.”

“You should tell that idea to Bill so he can write it with his other stories.” Eddie said, smiling as he returned to his work. “I still remember the ones he used to tell us that one summer when we all first hung out.”

Jessica tapped her pen idly against her notebook. “Bill likes to tell stories?”

“Bill’s gonna leave this town and become a famous author.” Richie said proudly. “Never met someone with such a great imagination before. He used to make them up for Georgie when he was younger. You know, help the kid sleep?”

“Uh, Georgie?”

“Nice going, Rich!” Eddie hissed, kicking Richie’s leg.

“Ow – how was I supposed to – I thought she knew about Georgie!” Richie defended, reaching under the table to rub at his leg. “Christ Eddie, are you fucking wearing steel toecap boots today or something?”

“If I were, you wouldn’t be talking right now because you’d be in too much pain to do so.” Eddie snapped.

“Look I just _assumed_ that Bill had told her about Georgie since she’s our friend. I thought for sure _Lucille_ would have since everyone knows.”

“Hey, hey, come on guys.” Jessica snapped her fingers, grabbing their attention. “It’s no big deal okay? I’ll pretend you didn’t mention anything, and we’ll go back to doing all of this work before it suffocates us.”

“R-right, yeah.” Richie agreed, looking back down at his notebook. “Let me know if you guys get stuck on something and I’ll help you.”

“Sure thing Rich.”

The four of them returned to doing their work, only speaking when one of them needed help with something or to tell Richie to shut up after a particularly bad joke was spewed out in the middle of them trying to concentrate.

“Okay, that’s it. I can’t do this any longer.” Jessica said, leaning back in her chair and stretching. “It’s already eight and my brain can’t take any more social studies.”

“I’m with Jess.” Ben said, throwing his pen down onto his notebook. “We’ve been doing this for four hours. How about we stop for today and pick this up tomorrow? We have all weekend to do it.”

“We also have Literature, Science, and History work to finish by Monday.” Eddie pointed out, leaning back in his chair with a groan. “We need to get this done.”

“Well, let’s look at it this way.” Riche said, setting his pen down. “We can meet back here at one, finish this off since we’re over halfway done, do the literature work since we all have that too, and then Sunday you can do the History work with Jess and then come here to do the science work with me, and then everything will get done on time!”

“I hate to say it, but I like his plan.” Jessica said, closing her notebook. “Richie’s the only reason we got so much of the Social Studies work done. He’ll probably be the reason we can finish the literature work in a day too. How you’re so good with poetry, I’ll never know.”

“It’s a gift.” Richie said, a grin coming to his face. “That and all school work in general apparently.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag from under the table to pack away her things. “It must be so hard to be you. Alright, whoever needs a ride speak now or walk home.”

“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Ben said, zipping his bag shut. “I do enough movement for track and I deserve this.”

“I’ll pass. I’m gonna stay here for a bit.” Eddie said. “I mean, if you don’t mind?”

Richie snorted, stacking his books up in front of him. “Now why would I mind you staying for an extra couple of hours, Eds? Hell, stay all night if you want!”

“I think I’ll just go with the couple of hours. My mom’s gonna start to get weird if I’m staying out every Friday night.”

“Sonia’s no fun.”

Jessica bit back a laugh, shouldering her backpack. “Well, you two have fun and uh… don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“So basically no sex at all.” Ben said as he stood. “You know, since Jess wouldn’t do a guy.”

“Damn Haystack.” Richie whistled, grin on his face as he stood to walk them to the door. “It’s usually _me_ saying something like that. What happened to you?”

Ben snorted. “You did.”

“Touché.”

Richie leaned against the doorframe as he watched Jessica and Ben get into her car, waiting until she’d pulled away before he closed the door and made his way back to the kitchen. Eddie was still leaning back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling with his brow furrowed.

“What’d my ceiling ever do to you?” Richie asked, crossing the kitchen and standing behind Eddie’s chair.

“There’s a weird stain on it.” Eddie said.

Richie tilted his head back, staring up at the fade pink stain right above where Eddie was sitting. “Yeah, that’s from the day my parents learned not to let me use a blender ever again because I forgot to put the lid on.”

“Of course you did.”

Richie looked back down at Eddie before leaning down and kissing him quickly. “So, we’re alone at last.”

“Mm, yes, and I don’t recall telling you to stop kissing me.”

Richie chuckled, reaching out and running his fingers through Eddie’s hair gently. “Little difficult at this angle, Eds. How about a scalp massage instead?”

“A wha – _oh_.”

Richie grinned, rubbing the tips of his fingers idly against Eddie’s scalp, throwing in some circular motions. “Scalp massage.” He repeated, bending to press a kiss to the tip of his nose. “You know, to relax your brain after all that hard work.”

“That’s not how it – you know what, yeah – I’m enjoying this too much to argue.”

“That’s what I thought you said.” Richie sang, applying a little pressure as Eddie’s eyes fell to a close, his hands gripping at the edge of his seat.

“Hey Rich?”

“Yeah Eds?”

“Can you get my phone out my pocket? I’ll tell her a bunch of us are staying for school related work.”

“You know, you’re lying to poor Sonia a lot lately.” Richie teased, dipping his hand into Eddie’s pocket to retrieve his phone for him. “Need me to dial home for you, Spaghetti man or is your brain working enough to tell your fingers what to do?”

Eddie groaned, lifting a hand. “Just give me the damn phone Tozier.”

“Touchy tonight, aren’t we?” Richie mused, handing the phone over to Eddie. “We’ll have to find a way to remedy that later. I’ll go let mom and dad know you’re crashing, not that they mind or would ever say no to _you_.”

“Good, give me some peace for two minutes while I call my own mom.”

Richie let out a chuckle, taking a step back from Eddie before doing a dramatic turn and leaving Eddie alone in the kitchen.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little heads up readers! 
> 
> Due to a minor accident in which I broke a couple of fingers my updates will probably be slower for a while until they're healed since typing is extremely difficult right now!

 

Eddie woke with a start, his breathing laboured as he tried to recall the source of his sleep being disturbed. Pieces of the dream that had woken him slowly came back as he sat up an attempted to steady his breathing, setting into his brain and causing his chest to tighten with each little piece he remembered he remembered.

“Eds?”

A firm hand clamped onto his arm, drawing Eddie’s attention to the source of the voice. He wasn’t sure when Richie had woken up, but there he was, sitting up in the bed with his glasses askew on his nose from his haste to put them on, his hair even more of an unruly mess than usual.

This wasn’t the Richie from his dream who had much shorter hair that he’d learned to tame somehow over the years and had no glasses anywhere in sight. This wasn’t the grime and blood covered Richie that had terrified him into a state of consciousness.

This Richie _wasn’t_ middle-aged.

This was the _real_ Richie.

 _His_ Richie.

“Eds? Come on, speak to me.” Richie urged, his grip on Eddie’s arm tightening enough that his fingernails were leaving small indentations in the flesh where they were digging in. “What’s the matter?”

Eddie shoved the hand away from his arm and then threw himself at Richie, arms winding around him and clutching at him as though he thought Richie would vanish at any second. His fingers dug into Richie’s back, clawing at the flesh like he was trying to _absorb_ the boy in front of him, his face pressing roughly into the side of his neck.

Richie felt his heart slow at Eddie’s sudden behaviour. He hadn’t seen Eddie this panicked since the summer they’d encountered Pennywise, and when Eddie began to cry, Richie bit back the smart ass remark he’d been about to spew, curling his arms around his distressed boyfriend and running a hand soothingly through his hair.

“I’m gonna need you to use your words at some point, Eds.” Richie said, pressing light comforting kisses to the side of Eddie’s head.

After what felt like forever, Eddie slowly pulled away from Richie, his eyes red and watery. Richie shifted one of his hands to Eddie’s face, running his thumb gently under his eye.

“You wanna tell me what that was all about?”

“I – it was – bad dream.” Eddie swallowed, waiting for some smart comment from Richie that didn’t come. Richie was watching him _very_ carefully, one hand running through his hair while the thumb of the other continued to stroke comforting circles across his cheek. “I – we were older – we came back here – _It_ was _back_ , Rich.”

Richie furrowed his brow. “It was back? You know that It’s –”

“I _know_ that, Richie!” Eddie hissed, taking in a shaky breath. “But part of me is always thinking… what if it’s not dead? What if it comes back someday? Ben said it himself. It comes back _every_ twenty seven years.”

“You’ve had this dream before, haven’t you?”

“A few times, yeah.” Eddie admitted, sinking his teeth into his lower lip. “It’s always the same.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Eddie’s fingers gripped at Richie’s sides as he swallowed, running the dream through his head again quickly.

“I – we weren’t together. I had a wife…” Richie snorted here and Eddie smacked his chest. “Shut up asshole. I know that wouldn’t happen it’s just… it was weird. I got a call. It was Mike. He said that _It_ was back and we all came back. Well… Stan didn’t… he died… I don’t know why… and we went back into those sewers.”

Richie hummed, toying with the ends of Eddie’s hair absent-mindedly. “And then what?”

“And then… It was there… and… I can’t remember all of it anymore but I remember you were covered in blood and I was looking up at you and I was in a lot of pain and everything started to go dark and then –”

“And that’s when you woke up.” Richie finished.

Eddie nodded, and Richie placed both of his hands to his face, tilting it in his direction with a comforting smile.

“Hey, look at me, Eds. None of that was real, okay? None of that is ever going to happen to you, to me, to _us_. We’re gonna finish school soon – two months actually – then we’re getting out of this place. We’re going to the same college, and I’m not about to let some girl take you away and marry you. That’s my job. That thing is dead and the only time we’re ever gonna have to come back here is to see parents at Christmas. Everything’s gonna be fine, because I’m not gonna let anything happen to you – ever.”

Eddie couldn’t hold back the laugh, staring up at Richie’s face. “Did you just _tell_ me we’re going to get married someday?”

Richie groaned, lightly shoving a fist against Eddie’s shoulder. “ _That’s_ what you took from all of that?”

“It kinda stood out the most.”

Richie grinned. “Well, then yeah. You’re gonna be Mr Eddie Spaghetti Tozier one day whether you like it or not, Eds.”

“You think I’d be the one taking _your_ name? I can’t even _say_ it half the time.” Eddie protested, shoving Richie playfully.

“Are we really arguing names right now? It’s two in the morning, Eds! I don’t have that kind of energy!”

Eddie glanced back over his shoulder at the digital clock on the nightstand where the large red numbers now read _02:10AM_ before he turned back to Richie, a grin curving onto lips.

“Good. That means I win.”

Richie rolled his eyes, dropping onto his back and closing his eyes. Eddie shifted on the bed next to him, and Richie could feel his fingers curling around the arms of his glasses before he removed them, leaning over Richie to place them onto the nightstand closest to Richie.

Eddie pressed a quick kiss to Richie’s mouth, resulting in one of Richie’s eyes opening to look up at the blurred Eddie who was currently leaning over him, no doubt with a smile on his face. Richie opened his arms and Eddie settled down into them, nuzzling his face into the side of Richie’s neck which was still somewhat damp from when he’d been crying.

Richie didn’t seem to be bothered by the wet patch of his neck, throwing his arms around Eddie as he closed his eye again and stared to hum softly, the sound vibrating through his throat. Eddie smiled, curling himself more into Richie’s side as he allowed the humming and the heat emanating from Richie to lull him back to sleep.

“Christ Eddie, you look like absolute shit.” Jessica said as Eddie and Richie climbed into the back of her car the following morning.

“Gee, thanks Jess.” Eddie groaned, shoving the back of her seat with his knee. “That’s just what a ‘boyfriend’ wants to hear.”

“Hey man, we’re off the relationship clock right now since we’re not around my parents or your mom.” Jessica defended, grinning and winking at Eddie through her rear-view mirror while Lucille once again fiddled with the radio; brow furrowed. “I can say whatever I want until about seven-thirty tonight when I take you home.”

“The lady has a point Eds!” Richie said, lacing his fingers with Eddie’s.

“Don’t encourage her.” Eddie scolded, smacking Richie’s arm with his free hand.

“Well, your radio is officially dead.” Lucille said, sitting back in the passenger’s seat with a huff as Jessica pulled away from Richie’s house. “Unless you want to listen to nothing but Static FM all the way to the quarry.”

“I’ll take a pass on that.” Jessica said, reaching over and shutting the radio off. “I’ll get a new one next weekend okay?”

“You should get one of those fancy new ones that play those compact discs.” Richie said, tapping his fingers lightly against the back of Eddie’s hand. “They look really nice.”

“And expensive.” Eddie pointed out.

“Then you have to buy the discs to play in them.” Lucille added.

Jessica groaned. “Which are _also_ expensive.”

Richie huffed. “Now you’re just taking the fun out of it.”

Bill, Stan, and Mike were all present when they finally made it to the quarry, seated open some rocks not too far away from the somewhat beat-up truck that belonged to Stan.

“Where’s Haystack?” Richie asked, wasting no time in grabbing one of the soda cans from the cooler at Mike’s feet and throwing it to Eddie who barely managed to catch it since he was caught off guard.

“He said he’s gonna join us later when he’s done helping his mom with some stuff.” Mike said, shooting Richie a disapproving look when he tossed another can; this one at Jessica who was busy talking to Lucille and not paying attention which resulted in the soda can colliding with the back of her head.

“Motherfucker.” Jessica hissed, grabbing at the back of her head with one hand as she bent to pick up the can.

“For fuck sake Richie, try to _not_ give people concussion.” Stan scolded as took out another can and held it over his shoulder towards Lucille.

Richie opened his mouth to retort, but the only sound that made it out was a scream of ‘fuck’ as the can he’d thrown at Jessica suddenly slammed into his face with a sickening sound between a clink and a clang before it hit the ground at his feet and rolled towards Bill.

Eddie choked on the sip he’d been taking from his own can in his attempt to hold back his laugh, Lucille reaching over to pat at his back a few times.

“Dats dot funny.” Richie snapped, voice muffled behind his hands which were clutching at his nose, attempting to glare at his boyfriend through his now slightly watery eyes. “Da fuck you learn dat drow?”

“Softball, eighth grade. I was a monster.” Jessica said, walking over to Richie and prying his hands from his nose. “Come here you big baby, let me have a look.”

“Wow, cause _that’s_ not stereotypical.” Lucille joked, dropping her hand from Eddie’s back. “Gonna be okay now?”

“Y-yeah.” Eddie said, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. “I just didn’t expect her to do that, let alone land the hit. How’s the patient Jess?”

“His pride took a really big hit from the wild soda can but he’s gonna live.” Jessica announced, patting Richie on the shoulder.

“I’d be mad you wasted a can if that throw wasn’t so badass.” Stan said, holding out an intact can towards Jessica.

“Ah-and hilarious.” Bill said.

“Glad you fucks take amusement in pain.” Richie grumbled, wiggling his nose with his forefinger and thumb. “Shit this hurts. For a second there I thought you’d actually broken it.”

“Trust me Rich, if I was gonna break your nose, I’d use something stronger than a can of soda to do it with.” Jessica said, taking the fresh can. “Also I did not _waste_ a can, Staniel.”

Stan sighed heavily, pinching at the bridge of his nose. “If that name sticks I’m murdering you.”

“The can is perfectly fine. It’s just a little dented.” Lucille said, picking up the can and giving it a once over. “Kind of like me.”

“You’re confusing dented with bent, dear.” Jessica pointed out, popping the tab of her can and taking a quick swig. “You’re more like one of those flexible rulers. You know… someone bent you a little bit and you never straightened back out?”

“Ohmygod.” Eddie choked.

“How did _you_ think of that joke but _I_ didn’t?” Richie demanded.

Stan snorted, crushing his now empty can in his hand before tossing it into the trash bag that was set out next to the cooler. “I think you might have broken his brain, Jess.”

“Good, because I’m pretty sure he rattled mine.” Jessica grumbled.

“Are you actually implying it was ever in one piece?” Lucille asked, returning the dented can back to the cooler.

“Ouch Lucille.” Richie said, a look of mock hurt on his face as he placed a hand to his chest. “You really not how to hurt a girl’s feelings.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry, Richie.”

“Hey –”

“You walked into that one on your own, idiot.” Eddie said, hoisting himself onto a rock near Mike.

“It’s amazing how often I do that.”

Lucille snorted, perching herself next to Eddie and parting her legs wide enough for Jessica to sit between them. “Worrying is a more accurate term. So Stan, when were you going to tell us you and Bill are dating?”

Stan choked on his drink, coughing a few ties as he glared at Jessica. “Jess! You promised!”

Jessica held up her hands in defence. “I didn’t say anything! My lips have been sealed this whole time! It’s not my fault you’re coming to classes with hickeys and he’s going back with messy hair and his clothes wrinkled!”

“It’s definitely not her fault you guys are practically undressing each other with your eyes whenever you’re talking or looking at each other.” Mike said, tossing his empty can into the trash bag and grabbing a fresh one.

“And it’s also not her fault that you guys happen to run off at the same time for something or be at each other’s houses when we call one of you.” Eddie added with a smirk. “We’re onto you assholes.”

“Did everyone catch onto this but me?” Richie asked, standing between Eddie’s legs which were draped over the edge of the rock.

Eddie snorted, curling his arms and legs around Richie. “You always seem to catch on last. Are you sure you’re smart?”

“Fine. We’re dating.” Stan said, throwing his hands up in frustration. “We just didn’t want to say anything yet.”

“Wuh-we wanted to make shu-sure we felt something ruh-real. Like you guys.” Bill said, popping open another can.

“Yeah, we figured.” Lucille said, toying with the ends of Jessica’s hair. “That’s why we didn’t say anything.”

“You discussed this?” Richie asked.

Jessica tilted her head back to look up at Lucille. “Where the fuck was I?”

Lucille grinned, pecking at Jessica’s nose. “You were in that detention with Richie for… what was it? _Not paying attention in class?_ ”

“Oh yeah.” Jessica mused. “I was trying to tell Richie to shut the fuck up in Literature because he was being distracting. Thanks for fucking helping Stan.”

“You’re welcome.” Stan said, flashing her a smirk.

“Asshole.”

Lucille snorted against Jessica’s shoulder. “If you keep hanging around Richie I’m gonna have to start washing your mouth out with soap once a week.”

Eddie chuckled, tightening his hold on Richie slightly and pressing a kiss against the crook of his neck. “We could just wash Richie’s out for good so he can’t influence her.”

“Come near my mouth with a bar of soap and you’re going to regret it, Eds.” Richie warned.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “You’re forgetting something Richie. I know all your weak points. I can and _will_ use them against you.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Oh Rich… whoever said we had to play fair?”

Richie groaned, tilting his head back until it smacked into Eddie’s shoulder.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

 

May came far too quickly for Richie’s liking, mostly because he had an inability to sit still and be silent for a long period of time, and their exams (which were being held in the assembly hall away from the distractions that a classroom would bring) required him to do just that.

The examiner, a very old and stern looking lady, opened the door and peered at the mass of students waiting to take their exam from behind a pair of thick rimmed glasses, raising a hand to adjust them slightly.

“From the second you enter the hall, you are to be completely silent.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You will all be seated in _alphabetical_ order, and table will have a card with your name printed onto it. Find the one with your name, and take a seat. If you need help finding your table, you may ask for help. Your exam will start _promptly_ at eleven and then finish at twelve. You may enter.”

The examiner stepped back into the hall and they followed, finding their name cards and taking their seats at the small one-by-one desks that had a booklet on them face down. Richie took his seat, leg bouncing somewhat anxiously under the table as he stared at the booklet on the table in front of him.

“Calm the fuck down.” Stan hissed from his seat directly behind Richie, low enough that the examiner couldn’t hear him while they were helping someone to find their desk. “You’re gonna do fine, Rich.”

Richie snorted, and looked up at the clock hanging at the front of the room. All he had to do was make it until twelve and his first hellish exam would be over. Chancing a quick look around the room, he could see Eddie one row to his left near the front, drumming his fingers against the desk in front of him nervously.

Jessica was one row over from Eddie, a few seats further back from him, staring at the clock as though its very existence offended her. Mike was in the same row as Jessica, separated only by one person at the table between them, staring down at the back of the exam booklet while mouthing something to himself, mostly likely the notes he felt he might need in the upcoming exam.

The examiner moved to the front of the room and looked down at her watch, staring intently at the face for a moment. “Turn over your booklets and begin.”

Richie flipped over his booklet, taking a moment to be thankful that the exam was on _Of Mice and Men_ since it was the last book they’d studied and the one that was freshest in his mind, flicking the booklet open and picking up the pencil that had been laid out for them on the desks.

**What do Steinbeck’s first descriptions of George and Lennie tell us about their characters? Is there anything which he writes about Lennie which leads us to believe that he has the mind of a child?**

Richie read over the question a few times, tapping his pencil against the crisp clear page of the booklet. He glanced up to see that Eddie was scribbling away in the booklet, a smile coming to his face.

Eddie had been driving himself insane with his studying, and his nerves had boiled to the point that he’d started to get snappy with everyone around him as he tried to make a year’s worth of education stick into his head; Richie included.

Jessica had stopped writing and was now twiddling her pencil between her fingers idly as she tried to think of the answer to whatever question she was on while Mike was scribbling away furiously in what Richie could only describe as a panicked frenzy.

“Place your pencils down and turn your booklets face down on the desk.” The examiner said when the clock reached midday, followed by the sound of pencils clattering onto desks and booklets being closed and turned over. “You may leave the hall _quietly_.”

One by one, the rows of students stood and left the hall, some of them in small groups of two of three; not wanting to be separated from their friends. Jessica, Mike, and Eddie met up at the far side of the hallway against a set of lockers where they waited for Richie and Stan.

“I hate literature.” Mike said, leaning back so that his head met the locker behind him with a low clang. “Take literature, Richie suggested. It’ll be fun and easy to do, he said. _Well it wasn’t fun **or** easy._ ”

“You really think you did that badly?” Jessica asked, tapping the tip of her foot against the floor idly as she scanned the crowd of students emerging from the hall.

“Probably.” Mike said, shifting and placing his hands behind his head. “Bill said the literature exam was gonna be hard but did I listen? No, of course I didn’t.”

Eddie furrowed his brow. “Bill said – oh right, yeah. He had the exam yesterday with Ben and Lucille.”

Jessica heaved a sigh, planting her head onto Eddie’s shoulder. “Lucille lied to me. She said that exam was easy.”

Eddie snorted, raising a hand and petting at Jessica’s head idly. “I feel like you forget you’re dating a genius sometimes.”

Jessica nodded with a yawn. “I do. Far too much.”

“Damn Eds, you cheatin’ on me?” Richie asked as he joined them, a playful smirk on his face. “And with a _girl_?”

“Well maybe if you left the exam hall quick enough I wouldn’t have to seek comfort in Jess.” Eddie teased, an equally playful smirk coming to his face. “It’s not _my_ fault she’s here in my time of need and you weren’t.”

Stan arched a brow at this, looking between Eddie and Jessica. “If anything it looks like Jess is the one seeking comfort in _you_ , not the other way around. Aw, did you have a tough time back there, Link?”

Jessica scowled at him. “If you make that name stick I’m going to make _sure_ that Richie’s Staniel name is printed into the yearbook, asshole.”

“You can do that?” Mike asked, peering around Eddie to look at Jessica.

“Sure I can. The Yearbook and its contents are _my_ domain. It’s up to me what goes in there and what doesn’t.”

“There’s no way you’d get away with that.” Stan said.

“You want a bet?” Jessica asked, standing upright. “ _Oh, I’m sorry, I guess the person I was training to take over for me when I graduate made a typo and no one caught it._ ”

“I hate you.”

“Love you too Staniel.”

Stan groaned, and the five of them started to walk off down the hallway, Jessica still awkwardly leaning against Eddie.

“I envy the fact that most of you _don’t_ take history.” Eddie said as they headed towards the social studies room to wait for Bill and Lucille. “You don’t have to go back in there after lunch.”

“But we do have that math exam this afternoon.” Richie pointed out, slinging an arm awkwardly around Eddie’s shoulders.

“Yeah well, Jess, Stan, and I are all in there three times today!” Eddie complained.

“It’s like I died and got stuck in high school hell for a punishment.” Stan said. “Or maybe it’s limbo. If it was hell, Richie would be in every exam with me.”

Jessica snorted, finally pushing herself up off Eddie as the bell rang. “I hear that.”

“You guys are terrible when you’re stressed.” Richie huffed, releasing Eddie as students began to file out of their classrooms.

“Let me guessss.” Lucille said, slinging an arm around Jessica as she joined them. “Poor babies had a hard time this morning in their exam?”

“I didn’t. I finished that exam in thirty minutes.”

“I fucking hate you Richie.” Jessica hissed.

“That’s it, I’m leaving you for Jess.” Eddie grumbled.

“Aw come on Eds –”

“Nope, that’s it, he’s ours now!” Jessica said, hooking an arm around Eddie’s and pulling him closer. “Right Lucille?”

Lucille grinned, ruffling at Eddie’s hair affectionately. “I get a cuddly toy _and_ a girlfriend? Living the dream over here. How could you ever let this boy go, Richie?”

“I know, right?” Jessica asked, playfully pinching Eddie’s cheek with a grin. “He’s just so wonderful but you had to go and ruin it for yourself. We’ll be sure to take _really_ good care of him since you no longer can.”

“I’m starting to really hate you three.” Richie muttered.

Eddie snorted, detaching his arm from Jessica’s and walking over to where Richie stood. After quickly checking that the hallway was empty of students aside from his friends, he leaned up and pressed his mouth against Richie’s with a soft hum.

“I’m just teasing you, Rich. Took me this long to get you. Do you think I’d leave so soon?”

Richie grinned, curling his arms around Eddie’s waist and rocking him slightly. “You hear that Jess? Get your own!”

“Oh no, I have no boyfriend, whatever will I do?” Jessica asked.

Stan let out a loud laugh. “Holy shit that was like looking into a mirror.”

“Are you saying you’re a girl, Staniel?” Richie asked, leaning towards Stan. “Is there something you need to tell us?”

Stan shoved Richie away with a smile. “If I was a girl, which I can assure you that I’m not, I’d be a damn good girl and you know it.”

“Well, you’re already a better girl than me.” Jessica teased.

“That’s it. I’m cancelling your playdates with Richie.”

“Did you just ground me?” Jessica asked. “You’re not my dad, Stan!”

“Someone should be.”

Jessica opened her mouth to respond, pausing for a moment before she closed it again. “Alright, okay, yeah. Sorry Richie, dad won’t let me play with you anymore.”

Richie snorted, slinging an arm around Eddie. “What your dad doesn’t know can’t hurt him, Jess. We’ll just have to do the whole sneaking out in the dead of night.”

“And how well does that _actually_ work for you in regards to Eddie?” Stan asked.

Richie tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, humming softly. “Pretty well actually… though I did almost break my ankle last night scrambling out of his window. I hate that Sonia’s room is right next to Eddie’s.”

“But you didn’t break anything.” Eddie pointed out.

“True…” Richie mused, tilting his head down to pack at the top of Eddie’s head. “Guess that means I’m healthy enough to sneak in again tonight once Sonia goes to bed.”

After lunch, the group split with Jessica, Stan, Eddie, and Ben all heading to the assembly hall for their next exam. Once again they found themselves looking for name cards on the rows of desks, taking their seats.

From his seat, Stan could see all three of them; Jessica directly behind Ben and beside Eddie who was seated right in front of Greta. Charlie was seated right in front of Stan, and he was definitely a welcomed change to Richie who had been bouncing his leg so much out of nerves that it had become distracting to Stan while he’d been trying to do his exam that morning.

The most Charlie did was drum his fingers against the desk anxiously which Stan knew would stop the moment the exam started.

“I can’t believe they’re going to be in that exam hall _all_ day.” Lucille said, absently turning a page in the text book she was reading from.

During the hours they _didn’t_ have exams they were required to have extra study time, and not wanting to have to be _absolutely silent_ or else bring down the librarian’s wrath, they had opted for sitting at the edge of the football field in the sun.

“My poor Eds is going to be the most stressed chaotic bundle in existence this week.” Richie sighed, throwing himself onto his back on the grass with his hands propped under his head. “You know, more than usual.”

Lucille snorted, turning another page in her math book.  “Jess is the same.”

“Stuh-Stan too.” Bill said, looking up from his text book.

“Maybe we should take a day off this weekend from all this studying.” Mike suggested, closing his text book with a slam. “We could spend a day relaxing. We all need it, those three more than us.”

“Yeah, okay.” Richie said, staring up at the clear sky above. “You just go and tell Eddie you want him to take a day off of studying for the most important exams of our lives and tell me how that works out for you.”

Bill nodded his agreement, returning his attention to his book. “Stan wouh- wouldn’t agree to that either.”

“Why do those idiots insist of driving themselves insane?” Lucille asked, shaking her head. “Especially Stan. He’s already made it into Yale. He doesn’t need to murder his brain anymore like this.”

“That’s just it though.” Richie said, bending one leg up and resting the other over it as he closed his eyes. “Just getting into Yale isn’t enough for him. He wants to start there with one of the best records the place has ever seen.”

Bill crossed his legs, dragging his text book into his lap. “Weh-well he doesn’t need to drive the rest of us insane with him. Du-did Jess and Eh-Eddie get their acceptance letters back yet?”

Richie hummed. “Eddie did, it’s off to sunny L.A for me and him.”

“Yuh-you know, you could have guh-gone to Yale too.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Richie asked. “Eddie didn’t want to go there, and I wasn’t about to go to a place where he wasn’t gonna be.”

“That’s sickeningly adorable.” Mike muttered, turning a page in his book. “So what about Jess? Did she get hers back?”

Lucille nodded. “She did indeed. It surprises me that Richie didn’t know that considering I was there when she called Eddie to tell him the good news.”

“What?” In one swift movement, Richie was sitting upright, hands in his lap and glasses askew. “What good news?”

Lucille grinned. “She’s off to LA too so she was looking into some off campus apartments and she asked Eddie if you two wanted to share one with her because there was no way in hell either one of them would ever sleep in a gross dormitory bed.”

“I feel like you might have ruined some awesome surprise.” Mike said.

“Nu-no.” Bill said, shaking his head. “That’s not an Eddie kind of surprise. I thuh-think with all the exam stress lately they just fuh-forgot to say anything.”

“That sounds about right.” Lucille said, reaching over and adjusting Richie’s glasses for him. “I think you need to de-stress your boyfriend, Rich.” She moved her hands to his hair, attempting to somewhat tame the unruly curls. “Jess tells me that lavender oils are really good for that. It’s up to you how to use that information to help Eddie.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll find a way.” Richie said, playfully batting her hand away. “Can you stop fixing my appearance now, _mom_?”


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO sorry this took forever. I had a major writers block + immense pain from the broken fingers so I present to you this kind of filler before the last couple of chapters.

 

“You’re a fucking idiot Stanley!” Lucille shouted, shoving the boy in question over onto the grass at the edge of the football field while Richie laughed at her outburst. “I didn’t want you to just _give_ me the valedictorian spot. I wanted to _earn_ that shit myself.”

Stan made no effort to sit back up since he was positive that Lucille would push him over again the second he did, throwing his hands up into the air almost dramatically. “It means more to you than it does for me!”

“I still wanted to earn it!” Lucille quipped, crossing her arms with a huff.

“Can’t you just say ‘thank you’ like a normal person would?” Stan asked, shifting and settling for just plopping his head into Bill’s lap.

Bill, who was talking to Ben about their future college plans, glanced down at Stan and smiled, moving a hand to stroke it through his hair.

“I know the pressure is high for you since _practically everyone in your family has done it for as long as they can remember_.”

Lucille huffed, but her face softened as she dropped her hands down to pet at Eddie’s head which was resting on her leg, his legs hooked over Richie’s lap so he could nudge his foot into the boy’s ribs whenever he took a drag of his cigarette.

“Thanks Stan.”

“You’re welcome, Lucille. Just make sure that the speech you give is one that we’re never gonna forget, okay?”

“You got it Stan.”

Eddie snorted, staring up at Lucille with an amused grin. “You really didn’t know he’d just toy with you for a few months and then just… let you have it?”

“He threw an exam, Eddie!” Lucille protested.

“The fuck am I gonna need chemistry for?” Stan asked, resting his hands over his stomach and drumming his fingers against the area lightly. “Look, it’s _fine_ , Lucille. I still got a B on that exam, you got an A, and you’re gonna get to give everyone a badass speech in a few weeks, so you’d better start working on it!”

Lucille groaned, leaning back on her hands.

“Oh you finally told her what you did?” Jessica asked as she joined them, a small stack of books in her arms.

“You _knew_ about this?” Lucille demanded, shooting Jessica a glare.

“I mean… everyone knew… wait did you _not_ know?”

Mike chuckled, holding out his hands out to Jessica. “Give me those before you drop them on Richie’s head and damage his brain or something. Why do you have so many of them? Locker clear outs aren’t for two weeks yet.”

Jessica handed the books over to Mike who placed them carefully onto the ground in the middle of their large circle.

“Yearbooks! Freshly delivered! They’re giving them out right now so I just got them for all of us and crossed your names off the list while I was there.”

“Well damn, aren’t you just a thoughtful little adventurer, Link?” Stan asked, an amused smirk on his face.

“I told you not to make that name stick you jerk!” Jessica snapped as she took a seat between Mike and Ben.

“You don’t have any leverage over me anymore.” Stan pointed out.

“Damn Jess, you took a great picture of the basketball team for these.” Mike said, looking up from the yearbook he was currently flipping through, attempting to change the subject before the two of them started to bicker. “You could totally be a photographer.”

“You think?” Jessica asked, her attention shifting from Stan to Mike.

Subject change: Successful.

“It’s what I want to do. You get to travel depending on the type of photography you do, but even you don’t… you’ll always meet some really interesting people.” Jessica continued, her face lighting up with excitement.

“Yeah, you can photograph Bill when he becomes a published author in a few years for the back covers of the books he’s gonna write.” Eddie said, stretching out and almost slamming his knee into Richie’s chin if not for Richie extending his hand and pushing the leg back down.

“Shuh-shut up Eh-Eh-Eddie.” Bill said, face red.

Stan snorted, reaching up to flick at Bill’s nose. “You’re gonna do it Bill. You know it, we know it, and pretty much everyone knows it. You’re gonna leave this shitty town and become famous and Link here will be there to take all the pretty pictures of you.”

“And pictures of you, unfortunately.” Jessica grumbled. “You’ll be hanging off his arm all the time no doubt.”

Richie snorted, reaching out and grabbing one of the yearbooks to start flicking through it. “Hey, looking good in that cheerleader uniform as always, Lucille.” Eddie raised his leg to knee at Richie’s ribcage harshly. “Ow!”

“Thanks sweetie.” Jessica called from across the circle.

Eddie tilted his head towards her with a grin. “Anytime Jess! Gotta look out for the wellbeing of my fake girlfriend’s real relationship!”

“I feel so abused.” Richie groaned, rubbing at his ribcage. “This is a domestic; how could you, Eds?”

“Well, maybe you should consider keeping that thing you call a mouth closed once in a while.” Stan suggested, closing his eyes as he completely relaxed in his position, a content smile on his face at the feel of Bill’s fingers running through his hair.

“They’re so sickeningly adorable.” Richie commented, nodding his head in the direction of Stan and Bill.

Stan raised a hand to extend his middle finger towards Richie, not even bothering to open his eyes. Bill snagged the hand from the air, lacing their fingers together and lowering their hands into his lap next to Stan’s head.

“Wow, Staniel is _whipped as fuck_.” Richie chuckled, the sound fading into a hiss as Eddie kneed him again, this time more gentle than he previously had.

“You deserved that.” Stan said.

“Oh, shut up Staniel.”

“ _Richie_.” Eddie hissed.

“Okay, okay! I’ll stop! Sheesh. Someone is touchy today.”

Jessica snorted, holding her hands out to Mike. “Hand me that book. I wanna be the first one to sign it.”

Mike chuckled and handed the book over. Digging out a pen from her backpack, she uncapped it quickly and scribbled something into the book, capping the pen once she was done. Lucille leaned over the space between them to snag the book and pen from her, using her free leg to lean on as she signed the book, Eddie rolling onto his front and holding his hand out for the pen.

“So is this what we’re doing with our free lesson now?” Richie asked as Lucille handed him the book.

“We’re gonna show Mike all the love, so write something _really_ nice into there.” Lucille said, a warning look on her face. “Otherwise I’ll make you eat that book.”

Mike chuckled and Richie scrawled something into the book before handing it to Ben next. When it was Bill’s turn, he placed the book gently onto Stan’s chest and leaned forward to write into it, holding the pen out to Stan who shifting to prop himself up awkwardly against Bill’s crossed legs to write in the book.

“So I guess we’ve just established that this one just became my book now.” Mike said as Stan handed him the yearbook.

“Damn right.” Jessica said. “Richie hand me yours.”

They spent the rest of their free class assigning the yearbooks to one person at a time and scribbling loving messages to their friends, most of which they wouldn’t see much after their graduation day; complete with Richie writing some rather… not safe for parental eyes things into the back of each book.

“Wait a second.” Richie said, picking up a final book from the ground. “Jess, you picked up one book too many.”

“Did I?” Jessica asked, arching a brow. “Or did I sneakily order one extra for your dear friend Beverly who did, correct me if I’m wrong, once attend this school and therefore deserve a yearbook with her _real_ friends in it?”

Richie grinned. “She’s gonna freak out so much when she gets this.”

“She’s gonna cry.” Eddie said.

“And then hug Link until she can’t breathe and we have to try and pry them apart somehow…” Stan added.

Richie nodded enthusiastically, glasses slipping down his nose. “Jess might actually die…”

“I’ll miss you honey!” Lucille said.

“Okay give me Bev’s book!” Eddie said, rocketing up into a sitting position and snagging the pen from Jessica. “We’re gonna make this the best yearbook she ever had, guys!”

“Hell yeah we are, Eds!” Richie agreed, handing Eddie the extra yearbook. “I’m actually going to hold off my vulgar ways just this once; for momma Bev.”


	23. Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length consistency? Still don't know her. And honestly... this chapter was just a little fun / cute filler before their graduation!

 

Eddie found Jessica at her locker during what used to be their second period, pulling a binder of work from her locker as she hummed quietly to herself, tucking it into the space between her arm and her chest with another one with her open backpack hanging lazily from one shoulder where a few more binders had been shoved inside haphazardly.

“Hey Jess, can I ask you something?” Eddie asked, his voice echoing slightly in the empty hallway around them.

Jessica jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, her humming coming to a stop as she looked back over her shoulder at him, a smile coming to her face. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people Eddie. What’s up?”

“Okay firstly, how the hell is your locker so damn organised? I know for a fact after seeing your room that you’re as messy as Richie and his locker looks like someone let off a damn grenade in there.” Eddie said, momentarily distracted.

The remaining binders lined up on the lower shelf of Jessica’s locker were all neatly organised alphabetically for her classes; the corresponding textbook separating them from the next one.

“You can blame one Stanley Uris for this horrible organised state that I am now living in.” Jessica said, shaking her head in mild amusement as she held a binder over her shoulder towards him. “He said it was amazing that I could find anything at all in the chaotic mess and then he proceeded to _tip_ all of my books from the locker like a jerk before reorganising everything into a Stanley Uris Approve manner. I miss my mess.”

“Right, yeah, I should have known Stan had something to do with it.” Eddie said, rolling his eyes.

He took the binder from her, shoving it as carefully as he could into her backpack; allowing her to reach into the locker for the next one.

“So you had question?”

“Oh right.” Eddie shook his head, focusing on the reason he’d been searching for Jessica in the first place. “Can you uh… can you dance?”

Jessica arched her brow and finally turned her back on her locker to face him. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Well.” Eddie took a quick sweep of the hallway to make sure that they were both alone. “I can’t dance, you know? I never had to learn for anything, and since we’re ditching the senior prom for the one that Mike is doing for us at the farm I –”

Jessica cut him off with a giggle, hiding it behind the set of binders in her harms. “Yeah, I hear you Eddie. You wanna be able to dance nicely at Mike’s private prom for Richie because it’s an important event. You know, that boy could use some dancing lessons of his own. Maybe I should have Lucille teach him.”

Eddie snorted. “You’re telling me. Sometimes I wonder if he has any idea just _what_ balance is. Okay, next question. Can you –”

Jessica’s face softened, and she nodded quickly. “Yeah Eddie. I’ll teach you how to dance for it.”

Eddie grinned. “Thanks Jess! You’re the best!”

“You’ve said that so often since meeting me.” Jessica rolled her eyes with a grin. “Sometimes I wonder what your basis of comparison is because I can assure you that _you’re_ the best!”

Eddie shoved her playfully before something on her locker door caught his eye. Leaning forward, he was able to make out the collage of Polaroid photographs pinned to the inside of the door that she’d taken at Christmas which included a rather drunk and half asleep Stan being carried almost in a bridal fashion towards the Tozier basement sofa by Bill.

“Does Stan know about that?” Eddie asked, pointing at the picture in question.

Jessica snorted, raising a single brow at him. “Are you kidding me, Eddie? He’d probably murder me. Bill knows I have it though. In fact, he laid claims to it when I clear out my personal things out of here.”

Eddie chuckled, his eyes moving to the Polaroid that was pinned next to it. It was Richie and himself sitting side by side at some point in the night, hands linked together between them. Richie was grinning at something that Eddie was saying, a look of pure adoration on his face.

“Can I have that one when you clean them out?” Eddie tapped the white boarder of the photograph in question.

Jessica grinned, using her free hand to carefully pry the photograph from the door before holding it out to him; holding it between her middle and index fingers. “Here. You can take it now. So I don’t forget.”

Eddie grinned, taking the photograph and reading the caption Jessica had written on the bottom of it.

_Eddie and the Trashmouth, Christmas 1994._

“Thanks. Can you believe we _don’t_ have a picture like this together?”

Jessica snorted. “With the way your mom is? I’m not surprised. Don’t worry though, my darling fake boyfriend, I’m going to be taking some at Mike’s so I’ll be sure to get some of you and Richie so you can start a nice little scrapbook.”

“I’m not _that_ corny.”

Jessica hummed. “Is it really that bad to have some nice pictures of you and your boyfriend to remember your younger days?”

“Hey – that’s not what I meant! You’re _twisting_ that!”

Jessica let out a quiet laugh, the sound fading into a hum of agreement. “Yeah, I am. You just make it so easy to wind you –”

“I’m telling you Staniel, one day, zombies are gonna rise up and then we’re all gonna be fucked!”

At the sudden sound of Richie’s voice, Jessica peered around the open door of her locker as Eddie looked off to the side, spotting Stan and Richie who were both heading in their direction; taking full advantage of not having classes and taking a leisurely stroll through the school to pass some of the time.

Ever since they’d had watched _Night of the Living Dead_ one night in Richie’s basement couple of weeks ago for their ‘Saturday night Scream fests’ as Richie had taken to naming their movie night, these kinds of conversations had become both daily and normal.

“But that’s impossible, Trashmouth!” Stan shot adamantly, tightening his arms around the small stack of books he was carrying. “Zombies just aren’t scientifically possible. Things like that just simply do not and cannot exi –”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Staniel?” Richie snapped, cutting over him. “You’re really gonna fucking tell me that zombies _can’t_ be real after Penny –”

Stan suddenly nudged Richie sharply in the side with his elbow, eliciting and ‘oft’ noise from Richie as he rubbed at the abused area. Richie looked up as Stan nodded his head down the hallway, spotted Jessica, and the usual shit-eating grin came back to his face.

“Jessica! Jess! Jessie! My darling lesbian!” Richie greeted, throwing an arm around Eddie once he was close enough. “What are you two lovely people talking about gathered into the hallway like a pair of clucking hens?”

“That’s none of your business.” Eddie huffed, crossing his arms.

“I’m cleaning out my locker, _obviously_.” Jessica said, motioning to her open locker with one hand.

“Aw, you’re throwing everything away after Staniel went through all that effort to organise it just for you?” Richie asked, a look of mock hurt crossing his face as he placed a hand to his chest. “My heart bleeds for you Staniel!”

“If it didn’t, you’d be dead.” Stan pointed out.

“What – do you have to ruin _everything_ I do?” Richie grumbled.

“I kind of live for it these days.” Stan admitted with a smirk.

Jessica rolled her eyes at their banter, grabbing the remaining couple of books from her locker and using her shoulder to close the door before Stan could spot the pictures. “By the way, just so you guys know, zombies are certainly possible to an extent.”

Richie snapped his fingers, pointing dramatically at Stan with a grin. “See! I fucking _told_ you they were possible, Staniel!”

“She said to an _extent_ , Richard!” Stan retorted. “That doesn’t mean what you think it means!”

Richie snorted, waving him off. “Details, details… so, come on Jessie, let’s hear _your_ thoughts on the matter.”

Jessica arched a brow. “Well, _Stanley_ here is somewhat correct in saying that a zombie is scientifically impossible, but this is, of course, in reference to a zombie like the ones we saw in Night of the Living Dead.”

“I told you!” Stan snapped.

“Hold on Stan, I’m not done yet.” Jessica said, leaning back against her locker lazily. “ _Richard_ is also right in the fact that a zombie _can_ exist, it would just have to be… how to put this… not a reanimated corpse.”

“But that’s the whole point of a zombie!” Richie protested. “That’s literally what they are and how they work!”

“Not necessarily.” Jessica shifted her shoulder towards her face to adjust her glasses awkwardly. “Zombies were a part of voodoo culture, but they weren’t really reanimated corpses for that. Zombie is more of a state of mind, really. So technically you’re both right. A zombie like in Night of the Living Dead cannot exist, but an actual zombie can. The zombies you see in a movie are literally just a combination of voodoo and cannibalism”

“And how, exactly, do you know about the art of voodoo?” Eddie asked, quirking a brow curiously.

Jessica shrugged. “I have an aunt who lives in New Orleans. She used to take me on some interesting day trips and I quickly learned that voodoo is pretty much a belief there. You need to get out in the world a little more, Eddie! Maybe during college the three of us should drive down sometime for a weekend and I’ll show you. Get you a _real_ education.”

“A real education?” Eddie repeated. “Are you saying all this time we’ve been having _fake_ education, Jess?”

“Gee, you tell me Eddie!” Jessica said, pushing up from her locker and heading off down the hallway. “How much of this stuff are you gonna use after you graduate?”

“I –” Eddie stared at Jessica’s retreating form as she turned a corner and vanished from their sight. “Sometimes it feels like we have two Stans in this group, doesn’t it?”

“I’m _right_ here you know.” Stan said, playfully smacking Eddie lightly up the head.

“I wish you weren’t sometimes.” Richie grumbled, curling his arm back around Eddie’s shoulder. “So why were you just loitering in a hallway with our dear Jessie?”

“I just needed to ask her something.” Eddie said, leaning into Richie’s side as they began to walk.

Richie hummed, drumming his fingers lightly against Eddie’s shoulder. “And what exactly did you need to ask her that was _so_ important it couldn’t wait until lunch?”

Eddie raised a hand, rapping a knuckle gently against Richie’s nose. “Keep that out or I’ll remove it for you, Trashmouth.”

Richie playfully nipped at his finger. “You wouldn’t and you know it.”

Eddie sighed, lowering his hand. “Yeah…”

“This is way too sickeningly cute. I’m out.” Stan said, taking a sudden turn down the same hallway Jessica had vanished down.

“Well, now that Staniel is gone…” Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie and lifted him from the ground, carrying him off towards the nearby bathroom.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologise in advanced if this is bad / inaccurate but since I'm not American I'm not 100% sure how the graduation works and working from what I've seen in tv shows / movies!

 

The day of graduation was _hot_ , and Jessica found herself growing increasingly more irritated with the black gown that made her feel like she was going to die from heat stroke.

She admired that Richie still kept his spirit in the growing heat, even if he did treat the gown as a dress at one point and give Eddie a mock curtsy when he’d arrived at the school with Jessica and his mother. Jessica and Eddie had found it hilarious. Sonia had not.

Richie had also somehow remained cheerful throughout the whole morning despite the ever increasing heat, throwing his arms around his friends in greeting and then smothering them in affection.

The ceremony itself was now being held outside due to the heat rather than trying to stuff everyone into an overheated assembly hall, two sets of chairs set out at the edge of the football field; one for the parents and one for the students, all of which were facing a temporary specially built stage.

“I feel like I’m actually dying in this damn thing.” Stan said, slipping a finger into the collar of the gown to pry it from his neck and let what little cool breeze there was flow into it.

Jessica tucked her graduation cap under her arm and slapped Stan’s hand away from his collar. “You’re gonna mess up the gown and have your parents on your case about looking presentable, Stan!”

Stan scowled at her. “But it’s _hot_ , Link!”

“You just need to deal with it a little longer. You can do this.”

“Guys should _so_ not be wearing a dress like this!” Richie complained loudly as he found his way back to them from his parents who had insisted on making sure he was presentable enough. “Do you know how many times I’ve tripped over this thing and almost fallen over flat on my face? _Five_! And that’s just from my bedroom to the car! There were another four incidents from the car into the school!”

Jessica giggled at the mental imagery of Richie trying to walk down his stairs and to his car in his gown. “Okay, first of all, Tozier, it’s not a dress.”

“What’s a _gown_ Jessie?”

“A dre – _that’s not the point. Just because a gown is a dress doesn’t mean you’re wearing a dress right now._ Now, look at me Rich. You got this. We’ll be done soon and then we can all go home and throw these things in the damn trash where we’ll never have to see them again.”

“Speak for yourself.” Richie groaned, crossing his arms over his chest, his own cap idly hanging at his side from his hand. “My parents insist on keeping these forever as a memento of today’s _oh so wonderful event_. This thing is gonna haunt me for the rest of my life… maybe longer.”

“Well, I can’t help you there, Rich.” Jessica said, jumping as someone suddenly wound their arms around her from behind, resting their chin on her shoulder.

A quick glance to her left revealed that Eddie was the one hugging her, his mother not too far away from them where she was watching them with hawk like precision despite being in a conversation with Jessica’s parents.

“I can’t wait to fucking leave this stupid town.” Eddie grumbled. “We won’t have to keep being uncomfortable like this.”

“I don’t know…” Jessica mused, turning and kissing his cheek. “I’m kinda digging these free hugs.”

“Two weeks, Eds.” Richie said, a reassuring smile on his face. “Then it’s just me, and you, and our pet lesbian.”

Jessica smacked Richie with her graduation cap. “If anyone is the pet here, Trashmouth, it’s you. I hate to agree with him, but he’s right Eddie. The apartment will be ready for us in about a week. Are we still taking your car, Rich? I don’t think mine can handle the trip there.”

Richie nodded. “Yeah, we’re taking mine. You really need to invest in a new car.”

“I plan on it.”

Eddie sighed, rocking Jessica slightly. “Can we go home yet? I hate this gown. I feel like I’m overheating.”

Jessica grinned. “Soon Eddie. We’ll be out of here and able to relax before Mike’s prom where you can grope Richie until your heart is content.”

Richie snorted. “So forever.”

“Shut the fuck up, Richie!” Eddie snapped.

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Come on guys. Let’s go find some seats before they’re all taken.”

“Come on Staniel!” Richie said, mockingly holding an arm out to Stan. “Accompany a lady to her seat will you?”

Stan groaned, but in the spirit of graduation, he decided to indulge Richie for once, hooking his arm into Richie’s as they looked for somewhere to sit near the back where the seven of them could be together since Lucille would be giving her speech.

“Mike, my man!” Richie called, releasing Stan and heading over to hug his friend. “I was starting to think you and the others were gonna miss out on this joyous occasion!”

“Sorry about that guys, but we have a surprise for you all!” Mike said, excitement ringing clear in his voice.

“Oh? What kind of surprise?” Richie asked, arching a brow.

Mike looked back over his shoulder and they followed his line of vision. Bill and Ben rounded the side of the school, and Richie could feel himself grinning when he caught sight of the person walking between them.

“Beverly!”

He abandoned Stan’s side and ran for the redhead walking between the two boys, throwing his arms around her and lifting her into the air with a twirl; forcing her to release Ben’s hand.

“Richie!” Beverly greeted, grinning widely. “Did you think I’d miss your graduation? I got here last night just for this.”

Richie lowered Beverly back onto her feet. “It’s great to have you back.”

Beverly was still grinning. “It’s great to _be_ back. I really missed you guys but we can talk about everything after. It looks like the ceremony is about to begin and you can’t miss that.”

Richie whipped around and shoved his way by Stan to sit next to Eddie in the back row before Stan had even so much as _partially_ turned.

Jessica was sitting on Eddie’s other side next to Charlie, her leg bouncing anxiously while her hands gripped at the edge of her chair. She hated getting up in front of large groups of people, and even though it was only going to be for two seconds to grab her diploma she was dreading it; a feeling that only increased the closer the moment came.

She jerked when Eddie’s hand suddenly covered her own, sliding his fingers between her own. “Hey, it’s okay Jess. It’s not gonna be long. You just have to cross the stage, take the diploma, and then walk off the other side.”

Jessica nodded and took in a deep breath to calm herself, fixating her attention onto Lucille who was standing at the podium. Eddie squeezed at Jessica’s hand, attempting to act as an anchor to keep her grounded to the reality around her and soothed at the same time.

“It’s okay.” Eddie repeated. “You got us here.”

Richie hummed his agreement, reaching behind Eddie to lightly ruffle at Jessica’s hair. “You got this.”

Bill shifted in his seat and took Stan’s hand between them, their fingers threading together. Stan leaned towards Bill, enough that they were touching shoulder to shoulder, but not enough that it looked like they were a couple to anyone outside of their friends.

Eddie gripped at Richie’s hand with his free one, drumming his fingers against the chair between them.

“Originally I was going to make the longest speech I’d ever given anyone, and I did.” Lucille said, holding up the pages for her speech (four of them), and waving them in the air. “But you know what? Things change. What I wanted to say to everyone changed, and I don’t need this anymore, so I’m going to keep this short because let’s face it, we all just want this over.”

Laughter rang out from the students in front of her. None of them wanted to be sitting outside in the stuffy heat wearing long black robes that seemed to soak up the sun for too long. They just wanted to go home.

“This is all I have to say to you guys. From the second we’re born into the world we’re told what to do, how to do it, what to study, what to say, how to _think,_ and who to love. _Screw that_. Do what’s right for you. Change your major five times because you don’t know what you want to do with your life. _Love whoever you want._ They’ll tell you that it’s wrong, or that you’re a monster, but _they’re_ the ones who are wrong. If it’s right for you, it doesn’t make you a monster, and it doesn’t make you wrong. It makes you who you are, and as long as you’re happy that’s all that matters. Leave this school, get out there, and just be _you_ no matter who _you_ are.”

After they’d accepted their diplomas (in which Richie had added another ‘almost falling flat onto his face’ and Jessica had almost tripped in her haste to get the moment over with) and had taken part in what felt like _hundreds_ of photographs because of their parents, Beverly had showered her friends with all kinds of affection and congratulatory remarks, a proud look on her face for her growing group of friends.

“Okay, we came, we graduated, we got the paper to prove it… we had pictures… can we go now?” Eddie complained when he re-joined Jessica and Richie, the latter of which was doing some very poor kind of a celebratory dance while Jessica giggled.

“Sure thing, Eds!” Richie said, halting in his poor excuse of dancing. “Where do you wanna go? Home?”

“No.” Eddie admitted, looking around the field at the mass of students and parents. “I just… I wanna leave _this_ and get this stupid gown off.”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard today.” Jessica said, hooking her arm into Eddie’s. “We can just dump the gowns and stuff in my car and go somewhere. You can pick the place.”

“Can we just dump them in the quarry?” Richie asked, already in the process of pulling the gown over his head as they walked.

“No we cannot just dump the gowns in the quarry, Richie!” Eddie snapped. “But we could go the quarry. The weather is nice. We could just relax for a bit before getting ready for tonight.”

“Hey, watch where you’re going, idiot!” Stan said, grabbing Richie by his arms before he could plough Lucille or Bill over. “You’re gonna hurt someone.”

“Sorry. I just… wanna get this damn dress off and leave already!” Richie grumbled, tugging the gown.

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s not a dress?” Stan asked, arching his brow at Richie who was now struggling to remove the gown.

Eddie, noticing his boyfriend’s distress, sighed. “Richie… did you get the gown stuck?”

Richie was quiet for a moment, halting in his tugging before mumbling a hasty ‘no’.

Lucille laughed. “Idiot.”

“Come here.” Eddie grabbed the gown, snorting at the heavy sigh of defeat from Richie before he set to work on freeing Richie from the gown.

“You’re supposed to unbutton the collar first.” Stan said.

“Yeah well – we can’t all be experts in button-ups like you, Staniel!” Richie snapped as Eddie unfasted the buttons quickly.

Stan sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose. “Sometimes I wonder why you two are even dating.”

“Sometimes I just wonder how Richie is a straight A student considering he can’t figure out a graduation gown works.” Jessica said, reaching up and swiping the cap from Richie’s head as Eddie gave the gown a tug; finally managing to free him.

“Ah, my hero!” Richie said, adjusting his glasses and taking the gown from Eddie. “What do you guys say to us ditching this place?”

“Ah-absolutely.” Bill said.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things before we begin! I tried to write the prom chapter and failed HORRIBLY, so I'm hoping this long epilogue makes up for that (if I can ever figure out how to write it I'll post it as a separate thing though!).
> 
> This is the last chapter of this story and I am super emotional because this story is my baby. I wanna thank you guys for reading this chaotic mess from start to finish!
> 
> A big thanks to everyone who helped me push through blocks, gave me suggestions, liked, commented and even reblogged on tumblr to get the word out there. For those who want to find me on there you can catch me @aizeninlefox
> 
> I appreciate all of you guys so this chapter is for you! The happiest of endings because you deserve it!

**Twenty-Five**

 

“Gee Richie, do you maybe want some coffee with that sugar?” Jessica asked, arching a brow as Richie added a fifth spoon of sugar into his coffee.

Richie looked up at her and grinned. “I need it Jessie, I’ve been a busy man lately between work and other stuff.”

“I do not need to know about your sex life.” Jessica grumbled, lifting her own mug of coffee to take a sip. “So why are we here exactly?”

“Because I’m _stressed._ ” Richie complained, adding a sixth spoonful of sugar before violently stirring his drink.

“Yeah?” Jessica lowered her mug back to the table, long delicately painted nails tapping against the china; cringing as Richie added a _seventh_ sugar. “Do you wanna elaborate on that at all or should I just start taking wild guesses? Wait no, hold on, let me guess. It’s the wedding, right? Shit’s stressful for everyone.”

“No it’s not about the wed – okay it’s a little about the wedding.” Richie dropped the spoon to the table with a loud clang. “But I can handle _that_. Knowing that Lucille is ordained _really_ helped with half the issues we were having.”

Jessica grinned, raising a hand to brush some of her hair from her face. “Yeah, you’re welcome for that, by the way. So what else is stressing you out so badly that you demanded I leave the comfort of my bed at nine in the morning on my day off?”

Richie silently raised his mug, taking a long sip of his coffee before slowly lowering it back to the table with a soft _thunk_. Jessica rarely saw Richie so serious even now as a fully grown working adult. He always seemed to have a joke to crack either at or about her. That much about Richie had never changed.

Today?

Not so much.

“It’s this whole…” Richie waved a hand animatedly in the air in frustration. “He wants to adopt a kid, as you know, and I’m _fully_ okay with that. Having a kid would be great but… do you know _hard_ it is to do that? Not many people out there _want_ to help out a same sex couple, and the ones that do want to help won’t do it until you’re married, and the wedding isn’t for a year but that’s just _not good enough for them_ and the whole thing is stressing me out and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do! I can’t give him the one thing he _really_ wants and it’s killing me Jessie!”

Jessica’s hand returned to her mug, the sound of clicking ringing out once again as she tapped her finger against it. “It’s really rough out there, huh?”

The café around them was bustling with life as expected from the city, except for their table which was almost lifeless as Richie took another sip from his mug to calm down his ever-growing frustration and Jessica stared down at the phone held in her free hand, thumb tapping away at the screen quickly.

Sending her text, Jessica placed the phone back onto the table, extracting her hand from the mug and reaching over to grab at Richie’s hand. “I’m sorry it’s so rough to do this. I know you want nothing more than to give him _everything_.”

Richie gripped at her hand. “Why does it matter if a kid has two parents of the same sex anyway? I thought the world was supposed to be better about this stuff now; especially outside of Derry.”

“It _doesn’t_ matter as long as the kid is loved, but there are still some assholes out there who disagree with it.” Jessica’s phone buzzed and she unlocked it quickly, staring down at the text she’d received before smiling and replying quickly; still keeping her hold on Richie’s hand.

“Is that Lucille?”

Jessica nodded, placing her phone back onto the table. “She was asking me why she woke up in an empty bed this morning. She sends you her love as always.”

Richie snorted, raising his mug again. “I’m honestly just surprised she’s not sending me death threats for kidnapping you so early in the morning. Sorry about that.”

“She’s not a monster, Richie. She knows we’re just the _greatest_ of friends.” Jessica said, tucking her hand under her chin with a smile. “Anyway, enough about my wife, and more about this kid issue you’re having.”

“Oh come on Jessie, I just, I know what you’re gonna say because Stan keeps telling me the same damn thing when I talk to him about it. Keep trying for him, Rich. You’ll find someone eventually but you won’t if you give up. You’ll get th –”

Jessica cut him off with a quick; “I’ll do it.”

Richie choked, only able to make unintelligible sounds for a few minutes before he was able to compose himself again. “ _What?_ Jessie, no offense to you or anything but… it’s not like you’re dating a guy to be able to get –”

“ _I’m talking about doing artificial insemination you fucking moron._ ”

Richie stared. “What now?”

Jessica shook her head, the smile still present on her face as she bit back her laughter at her clearly confused friend. “Okay so the premise is basically they take your stuff and then they put it into me. Did you _not_ look into surrogates yet or something? Then again they’re stupidly pricey, but it _is_ worth it in the end.”

“Jessie I can’t ask you to –”

“You’re not asking me to do anything Richie.” Jessica said, her tone firm. “I’m _offering_ to do this and there’s a big difference between the two things. Look, you two _want_ a kid more than anything, and I am a perfectly and extremely healthy twenty-nine year old woman who wants you to have the kid you want. Look, if you look into actual registered surrogates it’s gonna take forever for you to find one and the cost is _really_ high. We’re talking like forty-thousand dollars give or take depending on the person. I, however, do not need your money or want it and you can do this as soon as you have the money for the actual insemination.”

“What about Lucille? Shouldn’t you talk to her before offering up this kind of a service to someone?”

Jessica waved her phone in the air with a laugh. “It’s amazing what these little devices can do, Rich. If I were you, I’d get _your_ phone out and tell Eddie the good news that you’re going to scientifically pump me with life to get life.”

Richie scrambled to remove his phone from his pocket, cringing at the _ten_ texts from Eddie asking where he was. “You know when I’m done calming Eddie down about my lack of being at home and give him the news I’m coming over there to smother you with _a lot_ of affection right?”

“You wouldn’t be Richie if you didn’t. Get it all out now because once you’re expecting you have to treat me delicately. Oh, but I have one condition.”

Richie arched a brow, not looking up from his phone as he tried to concentrate on texting Eddie. “And the condition is?”

Jessica grinned. “I’m not birthing a second Richie so we’re using Eddie DNA.”

Richie chuckled, locking his phone and tucking it back into his pocket. “Fair enough. Poor kid would be blind as a bat probably, and we can’t have that. I’m coming to smother you now.”

\---

“I got some _really_ bad news that you guys aren’t gonna like one bit.” Jessica said, heading into the living room of her apartment with a grimace.

“What the fuck did you break now?” Lucille asked over the rim of her mug, sparking a snort from Richie who was playing with Eddie’s hair while Eddie used his lap as a pillow.

Jessica’s eyes shot towards Lucille in a glare. “Okay first of all, I am offended that you would even ask me that.”

Lucille arched a brow. “Did you _forget_ about the vase you broke a month ago?”

“That vase was both a mistake and absolutely hideous.” Jessica stated, waving her off. “I do not regret murdering it.”

“That vase was also a three-hundred dollar gift from a client that you broke trying to tackle Stan when he was leaving.”

“I reiterate; mistake and hideous.” Jessica quipped, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff. “Besides… Stan had it coming.”

“How the hell did Stan having you _soccer tackling_ him in our hallway coming, exactly?”

Richie shook his head with a chuckle, pausing his soothing strokes through Eddie’s hair and leaning down to press a light kiss to the tip of his nose. Eddie’s eyes flickered away from Jessica and Lucille to Richie, a soft smile coming to his face.

“He called me Link and we agreed to let that name die with college.”

“He made no such agreement. You just assumed he did.”

“It was an unspoken agreement and he broke –”

Eddie cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. “Focus for once Jess, you had some news we weren’t gonna like?”

Jessica tore her attention away from Lucille and headed across the living room where she dropped to sit on Eddie’s stomach so suddenly that it elicited an _oft_ from the man under her as she landed on him; jerking his head out of Richie’s lap.

“Jesus Jessie, don’t kill my future husband, please.” Richie said, shoving her lightly. “I don’t wanna be a widower before I’m married.”

Jessica grinned at Richie and then twisted her body to throw a leg over Eddie’s waist before she leaned down, her face a mere inch or two away from his own. “Hey there Eddie, gay light of my life and ultimate best friend.”

There was chuckle from Eddie as his hands settled on her waist to stop her from falling. “Hey Jess. It’s nice of you to drop in.”

“Eddie that was a Richie level joke and I am ashamed of you.” Jessica said, a mock look of disappointment coming to her face before it faded back into a grin. “So about the news I had that no one is going to like.”

Eddie’s brow raised, curiosity shining in his eyes. “Yeah? Are you about to tell me you were bisexual all along and now want to get in my pants? Is that why you’re straddling me right now even though your wife is on the other sofa.”

“Hey now, Eddie, you’d be a great addition to our marriage and shouldn’t think for a second I wouldn’t join in.” Lucille joked.

“Okay, Eddie is spending way too much time with Richie.” Jessica said, tutting softly. “So before we end up off track again... my news. You see, gay light of my life, the bad news is that we’re about to entrust the life of a child in the hands of Richie Tozier in about nine months and I am ultimately fearing for said child.”

Jessica could practically see the gears turning in Eddie’s head as the news sank in, and then she found herself suddenly yanked down into a hug, her body crushed against Eddie’s chest while her face was planted into his shoulder.

“Ack – little help here Rich – control your fiancé!” Jessica choked, her voice muffled into Eddie’s sweater.

Richie let out a laugh, leaning back on the sofa as Eddie tightened his grip on Jessica. “Sorry, no can do. You’re lucky it’s him and not me, but I’m debating joining in.”

Jessica raised her head enough to glare up at Richie. “I doesn’t fucking feel like, Tozier! I’m starting to think Eddie is the stronger of you two!”

Lucille sighed, setting her mug down on the coffee table. “Eddie, if you suffocate my wife you’re going to have to find a new person to incubate you a child and I can assure that it will not be me doing it.”

Eddie’s grip loosened enough that Jessica could breathe. “Sorry Jess.”

Jessica planted her head back onto Eddie’s shoulder. “If Stan makes one balloon joke I’m going to fucking murder him I hope you know.”

\----

“Okay! Where is my favourite brat?” Jessica asked barely a minute after stepping into the house that Richie and Eddie shared.

The sound of footsteps thudded from somewhere upstairs, and the next thing Jessica was aware of was the six year old girl that was clinging to her. Jessica hoisted the girl into her arms, smothering her in affection.

“Did you just slide down the banister?” Richie asked, eyeing the girl in Jessica’s arms who nodded with a bright grin. Richie raised his hand. “That’s my girl.”

The girl raised her hand and high-fived him.

“Great. She has Eddie’s looks and Richie’s personality.” Lucille said, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “Didn’t she break her arm doing that before?”

Richie shushed her quickly as Jessica placed the child back onto her feet. “Do you really think that I told Eddie that Erika broke her arm because she slid down a banister the one time he left me alone with her for a weekend?”

“Why weren’t your eyes on her exactly?”

“Are you kidding me? She moves like a streak of chaotic lightning sometimes. She was also rebelling to me putting pyjamas on her.”

“Ah yes, the child terror years.” Jessica said fondly. “I haven’t forgotten the time she drew all over Stan’s face while he was asleep.”

“Neither did he.” Erika said, a proud smile on her face. “At least Uncle Bill found it funny… and Aunt Bev. She high-fived me.”

“I was proud of you too kid.” Jessica said, ruffling Erika’s hair. “So am I right in assuming Stan _isn’t_ coming for this New Year get together?”

Richie chuckled. “Oh he’s coming but I’m under strict instruction to put all the pens where Erika can’t reach them.”

“Is that my Jess?” Beverly’s voice called from the direction of the living room, moments before she appeared in the doorway with a grin on her face. “Get over here, already! It’s my turn for all the hugs!”

Jessica stepped around Erika and rushed to Beverly, throwing her arms around her. Beverly clutched her for a moment and swayed, humming happily over ‘her girls’ being there before she released Jessica and made a beeline for Lucille.

Jessica took the moment to slip away into the living room where Ben, Mike and Eddie were, leaving her wife to the attack of love from Beverly.

“I was wondering how long you were gonna stay in the hallway.” Eddie said, an amused smile on his face.

Jessica grinned and threw herself onto Eddie’s lap with a soft thump. “Hello my darling, it’s been a while.”

Eddie looked down at her, adjusting his glasses with a chuckle. “It’s been two days Jess.”

“Is that not a while?”

“Yeah if you’re a _couple_.” Mike said.

Jessica tilted her head in Mike’s direction with a frown. “Excuse _you_ , but Eddie is my fake boyfriend which means we certainly _are_ a couple.”

“That’s literally not how that works Link.” Stan’s voice called from the hallway.

“SCREW YOU STANIEL.” Jessica shouted.

There was a loud laugh in the hallways from Richie as Stan appeared in the doorway, Erika hanging from him his arm. “What did we say about that name?”

Jessica grinned. “Call me Link and I call you Staniel. It’s as simple as that.”

Bill appeared behind Stan and Erika released his arm to attach herself to Bill instead. “Finally! I have to wait forever to hug you because of dad!”

Jessica arched a brow, her attention still on Stan. “Do you just duck under his arm and go right for Erika?”

Stan smirked. “Damn right I do. She’s more important to me.”

“I heard that.” Richie said as he squeezed between Bill and Stan to get into the living room, Lucille right behind him.

“You were supposed to.”

“Some things just never change do they?” Beverly asked as she came up behind Lucille, a fond look on her face.

“Nope.” Ben said, opening his arms for Beverly who crawled into his lap.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way though.”

“Definitely not.”


End file.
